Audion Igloo arrived in Manchester United at the last minute of the transfer window in a deal that raised many questions • Instead of training with his new campmates in Spain, he was placed in solitary confinement because he came from China due to concern about the Corona virus. Lesi

• Audion Igloo. Trust the seated upright

  Photo:

  Reuters

Audion Igloo was a little boy when he contracted a bacterium called Manchester United. "We saw the Premier League games in Nigeria and played in a group of players like Andy Cole and DeWitt York," the 30-year-old striker told the Red Devils website in an interview; "My brothers sympathized with them, and I also fell in love with the group. I never imagined I would be here, but apparently my dreams are coming true."

That of Igloo, playing for United, came true on the last day of the transfer window, when United brought him on loan until the end of the season. In recent days another bacterium has threatened to disrupt the Nigerian's big dream, but tonight - after not an easy period - Igloo will be on Ola Gunnar Solschiar's roster for the first time when United will host Chelsea for an important top game.

Even before the Corona virus complicated the story, Igloo's signature was defined as "puzzling" by most commentators. While Nigerian has provided an excellent Premier League season in Watford uniforms in 2015/16, scoring 15 goals, United is coming after three years in the Chinese league, with his last game being on December 6, more than two months ago.

Sulshayar. Suffers from pioneering distress // Photo: AFP

According to his agent, Etta Anka, Igloo did not even want to leave the Chinese league in this window, even when medical matters began to get complicated. What is certain, he did not imagine that the next career goal would be Old Trafford. "I contacted them just a week before the transfer window ran out," Anke told ESPN; "We talked for a bit. They asked questions about him, but I didn't hear from them anymore."

The long-awaited phone with the confirmation arrived only on the last day of the window, at 11:00 PM China time, a schedule that needed a lot of luck to complete the deal. Fortunately for Igloo, Shanghai's professional director of Shanghai was awake, the documents were signed, and the move was completed. Since then, he has been a little less fortunate.

Igloo stamping occurred in the early days of the Corona hysteria. Igloo felt the expansion of the phenomenon, which is spreading worldwide today. The Nigerian striker was not allowed to fly with United to the training camp in Spain, fearing that travel restrictions would prevent him from returning to England. "Since he has been in China for the past two weeks, he has to stay here," explained the situation of United United Manager Ola Gunnar Sulshiar.

So it happened that his first days as a team player, the Nigerian moved in isolation. He trained alone with a personal trainer, and did not get to meet his teammates. It was only last weekend that the striker was allowed to join the rest of the players, and his first match would come after only one joint practice. "We want to get him into business as quickly as possible," the Norwegian said ahead of the meeting with Chelsea tonight, "and I have no doubt he wants exactly the same."

In fact, Igloo probably wants it more than United. For him, it is a dream come true, and as a group fan, he is determined to make this dream as productive as possible. "Anthony Marciel and Marcus Headford love to start the attacks from the flanks, so United needs someone to know how to hold the ball and keep it," he told himself.

Lampard. Chelsea want revenge on the opening cycle // Photo: Reuters

Although many doubt it while ignoring his resume in England, and the fact that he finished the last Africa Championship as the five-goal scorer, Igloo continues to believe as he has done all his life. "You can trust God," he says, "if you believe in him and trust him, everything will work out."

The 30-year-old Nigerian has had some experience with that relationship up there. Patience and perseverance gave him the first summons for the team at 26, and willpower helped him overcome the great professional crisis of his life. Igloo was accused of ousting Nigeria from the 2018 World Cup, endangering his life, and though he was hurt by the situation, chose to continue to represent his homeland.

This determination is a product of the player's promise to himself. "My life was hard," said one who grew up in poverty, lost his father at an early age and one of his sisters last December, "and I swear that if I succeeded big, I would contribute back to the community." With no greater success for him than United, he patiently overcame the Corona crisis, and began tonight to try to contribute as much as possible to his new community.