Former Manchester United defender Derek Brazil has suggested that Odion Ighalo is a better striker than Anthony Martial after revealing that he would prefer to play against the France international than the Nigerian.

Brazil highlighted the qualities of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer and had backed him to start Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford which didn't come to pass.

Ighalo's critics are now singing a different tune after he scored three goals in his first two starts for Manchester United and the number 25 was involved in the build up to the second goal scored against City.

"The games that he's started in, the games that he's come on in, he is a centre-forward, out-and-out centre forward," Brazil told Love Sport Radio.

"When a new player comes to United, especially one who's had a few doubts about him like Ighalo, the bits that he came on in the games, he held the ball up well, he brings people into play, and he always wants to get in the six-yard box.

"Martial is different. As a centre-half I'd prefer to play against someone like Martial because you know that if you do give them a little wack from behind then he's not going to try and recover that ball.

"Ighalo for me is is proving people wrong. "

Since Ighalo's arrival at Old Trafford, he has yet to start a game together with Martial but Brazil has advised Norwegian coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to start both players as they can complement each other in attack.

"I think you could play the both of them. You could and then it'd be nice to see if if they could play together," he concluded.

Igho Kingsley