Former Super Eagles’ striker, Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins has confessed that he feels amazed yet totally excited to be back in full team training with the squad Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of China, some two years after he was released by the club, megasportsarenacom reports.
Although his first tenure with the club ended prematurely, when a spate of injuries left him out of form and then declared surplus to requirements, ‘The Weapon of Mass Destruction’ is back in Shanghai in expectation of a deal that would see him replace fellow-Nigerian attacker, Odion Jude Ighalo as the club’s top striker up front for the new season in the Chinese Super League.
Although the signing of Martins by Shenhua could jolly well depend to a large extent on if Ighalo stays back in Manchester United with a full contract, after his current loan deal ends on May 31, ‘Obagol’ is already excited with what he has been able to gain within a few days of training at his former hunting ground, and he remains optimistic of getting another contract with the club.
As the former FC Ebedei of Sagamu, AC Reggiana and Inter Milan of Italy, Newcastle United and Birmingham City of England, Rubin Kazan of Russia, VfL Wolfsburg of Germany, Sevilla of Spain and Seattle Sounders of USA fleet-footed star continues to train with Chinese Super League side, ahead of a possible deal before the start of the season, Oba says he feels very much at home.
Though he has not played competitive football for more than two years, with his last game being against Kashima Antlers of Japan in the AFC Champions League back in April 2018, the 30-year-old con says he has been very sharp in training, and scored twice in the last three friendly games, including Sunday’s 5-2 victory in the Shenhua Blue & White Competition.
Martins, who got 32 goals and nine assists in 59 appearances for the Shanghai-based side before he was released at the end of the 2018 season, told Sports Sohu: “I am still working hard to see what happens next. I’m very excited to come back here, and I am very happy to be able to score goals to help the team. This game helped me adjust my state and recover to the best.”
