Opinion: How Kelechi Iheanacho Has Proven Guardiola Wrong With His Superlative performances

Kelechi Iheanacho is regarded as one of the best forwards in the Premier League. As a young player in the league, he faced many challenges, but he worked tirelessly to reshape his career and become an important member of Brendan Rodgers’ team.

His EPL career began with Manchester City after he was scouted by the club after performing well in the 2013 U17 World Cup. Things were going well for the young Nigerian forward at the Citizens until a rumoured falling out with Guardiola resulted in his exclusion from the starting lineup.

Aside from that, the Nigerian International did not appear to be a viable option for Guardiola or the striker he required. Because of these issues, he felt cast out and eventually moved to Leicester City, a club that had been fortunate enough to win the league and was looking for reinforcement.

Kelechi Iheanacho patiently waited his turn at Leicester City and is now a regular, having scored 21 goals in his few appearances for the club despite mostly coming off the bench. The Nigerian also played an important role in the team’s FA Cup victory last season. Surprisingly, he returned to prove Pep Guardiola wrong by scoring the only goal that prevented Manchester City from winning the Community Shield.

Kelechi Iheanacho also did something Guardiola might not have expected against Liberia on Friday, adding to his national tally by scoring the two first-half goals that led to the Lone Stars’ defeat. So far, he is Nigeria’s best striker, and his name is becoming more well-known.

With his outstanding performances for Nigeria and Leicester, it is fair to say that he has shown Guardiola that his perception of him was incorrect. It is also possible to conclude that he would have been a hot striker in Guardiola’s current team if he had been given more opportunities to prove himself.

Read Also: Sad! 21-Yr-Old Footballer, Okafor Kelechi Dies Few Hours Before His Departure To Europe