As a child, Iheanacho was not so lucky and in his first major newspaper interview since bursting on to the scene this season, the 19-year-old reveals the hardship he felt as a youngster.


Brought up in what he describes as a ‘poor area’, he was one of the worse-off kids and could rarely afford even 20p to watch football.

Iheanacho has flourished in this season’s FA Cup, scoring at Norwich in the third round before a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the fourth. City’s squad signed his match ball and could be heard singing the fans’ chant of ‘Ihean-atch-io’ inside the Villa Park dressing room while their shy star performed media duties outside.

With nine goals already under his belt in an excellent debut year, he is ready to lead the line for City at Stamford Bridge but has no recollection of ever seeing an FA Cup tie back home.


‘We didn’t have the money,’ he says. ‘Maybe after the game I’d hear the scores and all that. I’d be at home playing football and my friends would come back after being there to tell me. We didn’t have a television at home.’


Iheanacho is quiet at first, not entirely comfortable with opening up about his childhood, his knees twitching as he explains that his family would use what little money they had on bread rather than luxuries like television.


It is a demeanour far removed from the nerveless striker who belies his teenage years on the pitch.


‘Sometimes I watched the Spanish league — it was a bit cheaper, maybe 30 naira,’ he adds. ‘But the Premier League was 50. Sometimes I’d watch the Premier League if I found the money, or I’d go there and beg them to let me in. Or sneak in for the second half and pay half the money.


‘I support Barcelona because I watched the Spanish league. I saw Yaya [Toure] playing for Barcelona… and now I’m playing with him. It’s a dream come true.

‘I have to be my own man but he is a big influence in Africa. He has done a lot in Africa and I hope to do that as well.’


Toure, along with fellow Ivorian Wilfried Bony, took Iheanacho under his wing when City manager Manuel Pellegrini unexpectedly refused to sign a striker last summer because there was an academy lad capable of stepping up without the need to gain experience by going out on loan.

http://footballlive.ng/footballnews/9ja-news/iheanacho-i-paid-%e2%82%a650-or-begged-to-watch-epl-now-i-play-with-yaya-toure/

What a story! #Nollywood take note

He grew up in Nekede, Owerri. His coach back then has a viewing centre (I visited there today). Now he's a big guy, I think they now live at World Bank Estate, Owerri. His elder brother was a much better player then, we all thought he would go pro, but God had a different script.

MissingBudget:
He grew up in Nekede, Owerri. His coach back then has a viewing centre (I visited there today). Now he's a big guy, I think they now live at World Bank Estate, Owerri. His elder brother was a much better player then, we all thought he would go pro, but God had a different script.

I thought kelechi nwakali was his brother ?

Grace at work

MissingBudget:
He grew up in Nekede, Owerri. His coach back then has a viewing centre (I visited there today). Now he's a big guy, I think they now live at World Bank Estate, Owerri. His elder brother was a much better player then, we all thought he would go pro, but God had a different script.

No one one knows the future. If that small boy should enter viewing Center now, no one will watch the match again

kodded:
I thought kelechi nwakali was his brother ?

No

Life is just unpredictable...The vicissitudes of life.