GLOBAL SOCCER
as against where he would be a bench warmer,” former Nigerian international, Friday Ekpo said.
Ekpo is of the opinion that Iheanacho going to Leicester City would be of an advantage taking into consideration the team already boast of two Nigerian players -Ahmed Musa and Ndidi.
“With Ndidi and Musa with other African players already at Leicester, it would make Iheanacho settle fast at the club which is a huge advantage. Having compatriots in a club helps players and even a plus to the national team, because they can always bring the understanding and relationship at the club level to the national team. This equally makes the job of the coach a bit easy whenever they come for national assignment,” Ekpo noted.
Iheanacho's big break into City's first team came in 2015, when the club parted ways with Edin Dzeko. Observers were looking out for another high profile striker joining the club but Pellegrini decided to throw his hat into the ring for Nigerian starlet. After coming in as late substitutes in league two games, Pellegrini decided to throw the Nigerian again into the fray against Crystal Palace and the 2013 U 17 World Cup winner reposed the trust the coach had in him as he scored a late winner to give the Sky Blue side of Manchester a perfect start.
That performance did not only earn him the applause of teammates such as Raheem Sterling and David Silva who described him as “the first of many”. But it engraved his name in the history books, as the third youngest player in the Barclays Premier League, to score a goal for Manchester City after Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge.
Manu Garba, who coached the Nigeria U17 and U20 teams where Iheanacho exploded on to the scene, compares his protégé to England legend Frank Lampard.
"I'm not surprised at his performances for Manchester City as I have said it before; he can play for any team in the world. As a matter of fact, they will do well to use him as a replacement for Frank Lampard. He shares similar style of play with the outgoing legend. They can both create and score goals from midfield with late runs into the 18-yard box hardly spotted by opposition defenders," Garba had said.
In 2014, he joined City's 20142015 pre-season tour. In his first game against Sporting Kansas city, he netted a goal and also scored in the game against AC Milan.
After the conclusion of the tour, City arranged for the youngster to be trained in Columbus crew until mid-October. But due to delays in obtaining work permit, meant he could not play in England, until February 2015.
In July 2015, he was also included in the City's pre-season tour team in Australia, where he scored the second goal against AS Roma in the 2015 International Champions cup.
Iheancho's rise to fame came after emerging as the best player in the FIFA U-17 world cup in the 2013 United Arab Emirates. From there, he was signed by Manchester City, where he made some appearances for the Manchester City U-21 team, as well as the Nigeria U-20 team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2015 in New Zealand.
In 2013, he was named the Most Promising Talent of the year at the CAF awards. He was born on October 1996, in Imo State and started his youth football career in Taye Academy in Owerri.