Ighalo: I will be 'the King of Nigeria' if…

Odion Ighalo says FA Cup success with Watford would see him return to his homeland as 'the King of Nigeria.'

Hornets hitman Ighalo, who has found the net 16 times this season in an impressive campaign, will lead Watford's line in their semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley on Sunday.

Quique Sanchez Flores' side have enjoyed a superb season, despite their manager being linked with the sack this week, and are now just one step away from playing for silverware.

An FA Cup final is something Ighalo could only have dreamt about growing up in the rough surroundings of Ajegunle, a district in the heart of one of Nigeria's biggest cities, Lagos.

Looking ahead to the last four tie with Palace and asked what winning the cup would mean to him, Ighalo told the Daily Telegraph: 'I am telling you, if I win the FA Cup then I will be going back like a king. The king of Nigeria!'

Cup success is of course still a couple of steps away for both Ighalo and Watford but the striker is already dreaming of lifting the trophy at Wembley.

If the Hornets are to get that far, the 26-year-old's partnership with captain Troy Deeney is likely to have played a huge part.

The pair have struck up a formidable partnership and although Watford's league form has dipped in the second half of the campaign, they still boast attackers capable of causing any side problems.

For Ighalo, Sunday's game is one of the biggest of his career to date.

'I remember big teams like Manchester United and Chelsea playing at Wembley so it means a lot to me to have the chance to get to a final,' he said.

'And I've never played in a cup final before, not at any level, not even as a boy.'

Ighalo is a certain starter against Palace but things could have turned out very differently for him had he accepted a big money move to China at the start of the season.

Hebei China Fortune made a £10million bid for him - with wages amounting to an incredible £40million over four years - but Ighalo stayed loyal to Watford. 

It's a decision he does not regret.

'Though I am not rich, I am blessed,' Ighalo, who earns £30,000 a week at Watford, points out.

'I know in the future I can make more money if I do well so I keep cool. I want to prove myself.

'I am happy I turned it down and it’s really helped me grow as a person.

'Yes, it was big money. A lot of money. But I want to keep going in my career.

'This is a dream come true so to leave the Premier League and go to China was not the right thing.'