Watford star Odion Ighalo thinks Leicester City success has helped Hornets go under the radar

Watford striker Odion Ighalo thinks the success of Leicester City means the Hornets have gone largely unnoticed this season. The 26-year-old Nigerian, who has been a key part of Quique Sanchez Flores' team so far this campaign, thinks the odds-defying performances of the Foxes have been a big boost to his side.

Leicester currently occupy second place in the Premier League, with neutral observers increasingly talking about them mounting a serious title challenge. Ighalo thinks the attention centred on Claudio Ranieri's men has been beneficial for Watford, who are 12th in the table.

"It is good for us when people start talking about Leicester," he said, according to Fifa.com. "We have been working hard but people have not been noticing us. I have been scoring goals, and [strike partner] Troy Deeney has also been doing very well, but we have been playing under less pressure."

The in-demand striker has been linked with a move away from Vicarage Road during the January transfer window, but Ighalo has insisted his immediate focus remains on keeping Watford in the Premier League. "We are fighting to get the 40 points we need to play Premier League next season and then everything that comes after that we will thank God for. But we are not thinking of anything else now," the Watford star said.

Meanwhile, the rumoured Manchester United transfer target – who has previously played in Norway and Italy – admitted plying his trade in the Premier League is the realisation of a long-standing ambition. "Since I was young, I dreamed of playing in the Premier league," he said. "As a child in Nigeria I watched the Premier League on television. It has not been easy because I have gone through many countries.

"But maybe God said it is my time now to have this breakthrough in England. So I am happy and enjoying every moment of it. But I also want to keep working at it and am learning every day," the Watford striker added.