Quique Sanchez Flores says Odion Ighalo decided to stay at the club until the end of the season and thinks the Watford striker wants to dedicate the Aston Villa match on Saturday to his father.

Ighalo's dad Paul passed away on Monday morning in Nigeria and the striker has chosen to remain in England until after their final Premier League game next month.

Head coach Flores said: “Probably he wants to dedicate the match for his father. I think this is the kind of player that doesn't need extra motivation.

"I think Ighalo is an amazing player and scoring goals for us during the season. He’s one of the main players for us and always very clever and positive. Everything I can say about Ighalo are amazing words."

Flores added: “For me always life is the most important thing. Every single country and family is different but the moment his father passed away I asked him if he wanted to leave.

"But he said he was going to stay here and at the end of the season he will go there."

Ighalo was asked if he wanted to leave the squad and took the decision to stay with the team for the final four matches of the season before joining his family in Nigeria. 

Flores said: “I passed on my condolences and asked if he is ready to play and if he wanted to be here.

"He said he wants to be here and to train and at the end of the season he will go to Lagos with his family."

Ighalo has remained focused in training for the club and Flores has praised the striker's mental strength after the way he has dealt with his father's death.  

The head coach said: “He’s trained every day so nothing changes for Ighalo. He is very strong mentally.

"The strength of Ighalo is also the mentality because in the second half of the season he has problems scoring but he’s really positive for the team and always giving positive spirit for the rest of the players."