A player brought up from humble beginnings. A footballer shaped and moulded through family tragedy, a player who never complains at performing under-the-radar while allowing his teammates to gather all the acclaim.
It’s always been an admirable example and quality of Kelechi Iheanacho’s career so far. His superb hat-trick against Sheffield United not only provided Leicester City fans a timely reminder of his abilities but also a telling optimism of the player he can become, especially with Leicester’s main man Jamie Vardy in the twilight of his career at the King Power.
Kelechi Iheanacho has always been perceived as a footballer who can achieve so much but yet flatters to decieve in equal measure. A footballer who merely scratches the surface.
There’s no doubt about it, when his tail is up he looks every bit the striker that many of the Leicester City faithful describe as arguably the deadliest finisher in front of goal at the club, and that’s a huge remark considering the spectacular goalscoring numbers Jamie Vardy has pulled up in recent seasons.
But that isn’t just any empty description and viewpoint, we’ve seen Iheanacho on the end of some superb finishes throughout his career, goals that will have been spoken about for weeks had Jamie Vardy or James Maddison gotten on the end of them.
Though, that says much about the player Iheanacho currently, a player touted for so much more when he’s on song, but yet still needs a major work, confidence and self-belief to maintain the sort of consistency levels Jamie Vardy possesses and ultimately become one of the best finishers in the English top-flight.
The time of describing 24-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho as an ‘underrated’ commodity surely must come to a halt, especially after his exploits in recent weeks. The Nigerian’s hat-trick, his first in the Premier League, against a hapless Sheffield United took his tally to five goals in his last three appearances. It is the first time has scored in three consecutive Premier League games in his career and he’s now also scored six in his last six Premier League outings.
Bar Harry Kane, there isn’t a striker currently enjoying such a rich vein of form in front of goal in the Premier League over the last few weeks other than Kelechi Iheanacho. Considering it took him 54 league appearances to register his previous five goals, there is no question that the Nigerian international is in the hottest streak of his Leicester City career.
Though, whatever run he seems to be on, he still maintains that shy, timid but yet humble character, and that is of course down to his modest upbringing. After his superb performance over Sheffield United, he dedicated his goals to all the mums on Mothers Day. The striker appeared visibly, emotional during his post match interview as he grasped the deserved match ball in his arms.
He said after the contest:
“I don’t know how to express this, but I am over the moon and delighted.
I thank God almighty for this day because I’ve been waiting for this day to come.
I’ve been working really hard and I’m really grateful to God.
I thank my teammates and my manager for helping me grow. I thank everyone in the club for helping me out and I’m happy for this day.
I’m going to use this opportunity to dedicate this hat-trick to all the mothers in the world. The ones who keep taking care of us. I wish them all a happy Mother’s Day.”
The striker’s mother, Mercy, died in 2013 after a battle with illness. In an interview he gave in 2015, he spoke of his upbringing and family trauma, stating that: “Everything I do, I do for my mum and my family – that’s what drives me.”
His goals against Sheffield United showed a player finally realising his worth to the Leicester City cause this season, and a player highlighting why he is more than just a bench player. It will be hard to see how Harvey Barnes and James Maddison get back into the line-up once they return from injury, and that’s a massive credit to the incredible efforts of Iheanacho at a time where Leicester have been plagued by unfortunate injuries. The Nigerian striker has indeed stepped up, but could there be more for him in this Leicester City team?
Micah Richards, a former teammate at Manchester City, said on the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, that the striker needed to be more “selfish” and that he doesn’t “see him as an out-an-out goalscorer like Vardy” but his build-up and link play as the most impressive parts of his game, and that is of course true. The forward is excellent when picking up excellent pockets of space behind Jamie Vardy to either find his teammate or create something out of nothing. As well as scoring 10 goals in all competitions this season, he’s also provided three assists. The forward has also recorded on average this term, 1.36 key passes, 1.73 final third passes and 1.86 shot-creating actions per 90. He’s a valuable link-man.
Yet, he showed a whole other side to his game against Sheffield United. His first goal, a real poachers effort, driving into the box off some excellent instinctive movement to tap in Jamie Vardy’s pass. Iheanacho got his second from another Vardy assist, a superb pass which found him across the 12-yard box, this time powering a ruthless first time effort past Aaron Ramsdale. His third was the pick of the bunch, dropping into those dangerous pockets he usually operates in, receiving the ball from Wilfried Ndidi before unleashing an unstoppable drive from all of about 25-yards.
That’s the kind of ruthless and selfish edge his strike partner Jamie Vardy has lived off throughout his career in the Premier League, and one Iheanacho himself needs to pick up in order for him to fully fulfil his undoubted potential in front of goal. As stated earlier, on his day Iheanacho’s finishing is indeed unmatched, but he needs to maintain such levels with greater consistency, especially in a division as demanding as the Barclays Premier League.
Many have of course doubted whether the 24-year-old could become Leicester City’s main man up-top once Jamie Vardy finally hangs up his boots, and rightly so. Iheanacho has flattered to deceive at times, wasting chances and hesitating at opportunities that the best strikers would regularly feed off. However, the Nigerian is a player who can effect games at an alarming rate. In 76 starts in all competitions for Manchester City and Leicester, Iheanacho has been directly involved in 51 goals (37 goals, 14 assists). For a player who needs to be more “selfish”, that is unerring statistics.
But, and its a significant but, his performance against Sheffield United isn’t seen often enough. For example, a game Leicester needed to pick up three crucial points, against Crystal Palace in December, Iheanacho was nowhere to be found. Even the best strikers, when enduring a torrid afternoon, would still go on and effect games, the Nigerian put on a full-horror show and that’s why 60 of Iheanacho’s 116 appearances has come as a sub, and when he has started its mainly been in cup competitions. That was until Vardy had to step away for a short period to undergo hernia surgery.
Without Vardy, Iheanacho flattered to decieve. With him, the young striker has been immense. However, that needs to change. Iheanacho needs to get to a point where Rodgers can be confident and rely on him to effect games when Vardy isn’t around. That’s the next step up for him. Will he become Leicester City’s go-to man once Vardy does finally leave? That’s for Iheanacho to prove, though he will continue to have the belief of his manager who said after the Sheffield United game:
“Kelechi Iheanacho is a great guy and when he has been asked to come in he has performed.
Absolutely delighted for him to have got his hat-trick in the Premier League.
It’s a great achievement and all were very good team goals.”
For the foreseeable future, Iheanacho will not have to be “asked” to come in and cover when the squad is plagued by injuries, he’d need to deliver when the manager expects it of him.
For a player starting from humble beginnings, a player who desires for others to be in the limelight rather than himself, to be the best he can become he may have to tap into the selfish areas of his heart to take that next bold step in his career. He may well have finally come of age, but can he maintain it?
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