The 19-year-old Nigerian is no stranger to
City fans but is yet to receive a great deal of
recognition elsewhere, something which is
sure to change in the coming weeks and
months
It's time to talk about Kelechi Iheanacho.
Manchester City fans know they have got a
serious talent on their hands and, soon
enough, the rest of the world will know what
all the fuss is about.
The 19-year-old Nigerian, recruited after
lighting up the 2013 Under-17 World Cup, only
got his papers through last February and
spent time at Colombus Crew in the United
States and was even stationed out in
Barcelona as work permit issues dragged
on. He was wowing City fans before he was
officially a City player - showing flashes on
two pre-season tours and impressing for
the club's Elite Development Squad - and
moments like today feel a long time coming.
After more than a year's worth of red tape,
he has wasted little time showing what he's
capable of, but still he is far from a
household name
Just seconds into his second ever competitive
senior appearance, against Crystal Palace
back in September, he drifted into exactly the
right area at exactly the right time to score a
vital, last-gasp winner for a team who had
established themselves as runaway
favourites for the title.
Unfortunately for him, that fell the same day
as Anthony Martial made his first impression
on English football, coming off the bench to
score a fairytale goal against Liverpool on
his first appearance for Manchester United.
Chelsea had lost to Everton that lunchtime as
Jose Mourinho's second spell at Stamford
Bridge began to unravel, leaving Iheanacho
pushed off the back pages and shunted
towards the end of Match of the Day.
Wider exposure would have to wait. Until
today, perhaps. City boss Manuel Pellegrini
has been criticised by many fans for failing
to give Iheanacho more first-team action,
even as Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony
have missed out through injury, meaning he
has largely had to strut his stuff in cup
competitions or in late league cameos. It's
hard to say he could have done much more.
The youngster scored on his first senior
start, against Palace in the League Cup, and
was - finally, in the eyes of some - handed a
full Premier League debut against Norwich
City in the next game at the end of October.
That was one opportunity he failed to grasp
and found himself limited to late substitute
appearances, often when the game was long
lost, for the next 10 weeks: he did not start
another league match until January 16.
In that time another League Cup goal against
Hull City seemed to have fallen off the radar
of the general football conciousness, and he
was very fortunately credited with another
dramatic winner, this time when Yaya Toure's
shot deflected off his back and looped into
the Swansea net.
It was at Norwich City in the last round of the
FA Cup when he made it five goals in four
starts with a cool effort from the edge of the
box, but that strike and an impressive wider
performance was limited to short internet
highlights for the majority of City fans, let
alone neutrals, given the FA Cup's limited
television audience - and lack of illegal
streams - around the world.
He had linked up well with Aguero in a 4-4-2
that day but the experiment was not
particularly successful when tested again in
the league against Palace a fortnight ago.
On Saturday, though, he was chosen as the
lead striker in a 4-2-3-1 shape and took full
advantage. Just four minutes in he bundled
home a corner - another instinctive strike -
to put City ahead. Fabian Delph, the former
Aston Villa man, had a toy snake waved at
him by a young boy as he lined up the set-
piece. Instant karma at work in the Midlands.
If Iheanacho's first goal of the day was
somewhat scrappy, the second highlighted his
huge confidence. Raheem Sterling had looked
set to take the penalty he had won seconds
earlier, but Kelechi took the ball - without
argument, seemingly - put it on the spot,
stuttered his run-up to fox Brad Guzan and
then slotted the ball slightly to the left of
centre of goal. It was one of those penalties
that can look terrible if not done properly.
But Iheanacho knows what he's doing.
Clearly. Having been put through on goal
thanks to a dreadful back-pass, he advanced
on Guzan from just inside the Villa half, kept
his cool, sized up the big American stopper,
picked his spot and rolled in his hat-trick.
The evidence is there. Playing up front is no
easy task for the best of strikers, let alone
a 19-year-old, but he has shown that he has
what it takes to play the role. The goals will
speak for themselves but a fine cross-field
through ball to Jesus Navas, reminiscent of
his assist for Manu Garcia earlier in the
season, was also sublime.
Iheanacho has scored in all three
competitions in which he has played this
season and is set to be included in City's
Champions League squad when the squad list
is re-submitted on Tuesday.
With Wilfried Bony still a couple of weeks
away from fitness - and, frankly, having
failed to convince - and Aguero unlikely to
play every single game from now until the
end of the season, Iheanacho is ready to take
centre stage.
Given that his previous exploits - largely in
the cup - have failed to earn him recognition
as one of the Premier League's top
propsects, if not one of the best young
talents in world football, a stellar showing in
the FA Cup against the worst Villa team in
recent memory is unlikely to win over a
great deal of new followers.
But ignore him at your peril.


http://m.goal.com/s/en/news/780/fa-cup/2016/01/30/19829292/remember-the-name-kelechi-iheanacho-is-a-manchester-city-star-in-

Nice

Ighalo too was substituted and gave Watford a victory, Niger guys are becoming great it's clear

Princecalm:
I just hope we can say the same of him in the next four years

yes we will

ritababe:


yes we will

#MARKED

So long a letter

rhema4u:
So long a letter

lol, so that lalasticlala no go complain.

Na so

.

I wish musa and emenike will seal a deal in the English premier league...
then we will terrorise England with our troops.

ritababe:


lol, so that lalasticlala no go complain.

I just dey observe.

So long epistle that I cud nt read all, but I watched this little Ihenacho on their match with sunderland last two sundays now and u will see a hungry attacker like the Italians attackers like Christian Abiatti, Amuri, Ballotelli, so fulfilling and energetic in the field and still have bright future, young, strong

ritababe:

lol, so that lalasticlala no go complain.

ritababe