Iheanacho ...The New prodigy



Kelechi Iheanacho is setting the English Premier League on fire. You can't ask for more with 8 starts in all games, 11 goals, 4 assists and 15 short on goals in his first full season with Manchester City. Kelechi Iheanacho was part of the victorious Nigeria's team that won the 2013 edition of the Under 17 World Cup in Dubai UAE. Since then, he has grown in leaps and bound in his club career. 
Following the World Cup victory, there were tussles from top clubs across Europe but Manchester City eventually secured the services of the 19 years old international player. To be candid, it was not a move I favoured as the top clubs in England has shown records of impatient attitude towards young players coming through the ranks. At the time, I would have preferred he moved to a club that enhances youth development, but he moved along side Chidiebere Nwakali (currently on loan to IK Start - Norway). 

 Iheanacho rapidly rose and he began to show flashes of promise during the Pre-Season tour with the first team. It was at this point that he began to display some qualities to show he was ready for top flight football. It was no surprise that the Manchester City Manager Manuel Pelegrinni elevated him to the first team in the current season. He has gone to repay the faith shown in him with some crucial performances. He got his debut goal in his first substitute appearance against Crystal Palace, but the  performance that has got every football commentator talking was the game against Stoke City where he scored 2 goals. He also got the Man of the match award to cap his memorable performance. 

 Media attention

 Kelechi does not seem to be getting the media attention some of the other young upcoming English counterparts seems to get. A case in point is Marcus Rashford, the young Manchester United teenager. From a statistical point of view, Kelechi comes out on top. According to Manchester Evening News, Kelechi scored 11 goals in 896 minutes while Rashford scored 7 goals in 1,092 minutes. 
The question is why is Kelechi not getting the same rave as Rashford. Well, Martin Keown - former Arsenal defender said  on BBC Match of the day highlights " Maybe because he is not English, or because he is Nigerian". That comment I think highlights the reason why he is not enjoying the media's attention. But one thing is certain, if he keeps developing and working hard, he will get the attention of the media world. One hopes that he will feature in the plans of Pep Guadiola next season.

 In the light of Iheanacho's rise to prominence, it is also important to note that Nigeria's future looks very bright. The Nigeria football is going through some tough patches at the moment considering the ouster from the African cup of Nations in Gabon next year.  However, Nigeria have some exciting promising young stars like Kelechi, players like Taiwo Awoniyi (Liverpool), Chidera Ezeh(Porto), Issac Success (Granada), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal) and much more. The future is definitely something to look forward to.


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