Kelechi Iheanacho: From Foxes Flop to Rodgers’ Ace

After an unimpressive start to the season with no goal to show for his efforts with more than half of the season gone and even squandering an opportunity from the spot against Crystal Palace, that cost the Foxes two valuable points, the Kelechi Iheanacho’s future at the King Power Stadium was then hanging in the balance. Now, with 17 goals to his name and Leicester Palace top scorer, the former Manchester City man may now be the first name on the lips of Manager Brenden Rodgers

With Jamie Vardy, now 34 and nearing the twilight of his career, former Foxes star, Emiley Heskey had urged the club to start looking for the forward’s replacement as he was convinced Kelechi Iheanacho was not the right man to replace Vardy as the club’s first-choice attacker.
Heskey had advised the Foxes to look elsewhere for Vardy’s replacement as Iheanacho would struggle to fill the void of the 34-year-old if he leaves the club.

“When Vardy doesn’t play you see a difference in the way they play and effectiveness of them going forward,” Heskey had told Premier League Productions.
“They haven’t quite found someone who could actually fill that gap and this is what they are going to be looking at. Can Iheanacho be that next player? I can’t see it so they have to go and get someone else.

“I don’t know if there are any youth players that can actually take up that mantle now and play them in certain games so they have to go and look out for a new Jamie Vardy.”
That narrative had since changed with the Nigerian now fast turning to a goal machine.

“He is a top lad and a top striker in the world, everyone knows,” Iheanacho said about Vardy.
“I am playing with him in training and watching him which inspires me as well. I will keep going. We can play as two strikers or we can play one striker as well. It depends on how the manager wants to play and set up the squad and everyone is important. We need everyone.”

Iheanacho had to wait until almost the third quarter for his first league goal of the season. Since then the Leicester City striker is the Premier League’s top goalscorer.

The Nigerian assisted the equaliser and scored the winner as the Foxes beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to gain a seven-point cushion in the race for a Champions League place.
He is the Foxes’ top scorer this season with 17 goals, the first time since 2014-15 that Jamie Vardy has been in danger of not leading the way.

“That race to be top scorer is not what we talk about,” Iheanacho told BBC Sport. “As a team we work for each other, it doesn’t matter who scores the goals.
“There’s so much to improve in games so I’ll keep going, keep doing my best.”
Boss Brendan Rodgers said: “Over the last few months Kelechi has been absolutely incredible. It wasn’t just his goal but his work-rate; he wants to press the game. He has no ego whatsoever and he works so hard.”

The turning point in Iheanacho’s Leicester City career has been starting alongside Vardy up front.
They only started eight games together last season and did not do so this campaign until 28 February – and even then it was only because of injuries to James Maddison and others. They have played every game together since.

Nigeria’s Iheanacho has scored 14 goals in his last 14 appearances, as many as he managed in his previous 76 for Leicester.
Only Harry Kane (18) has been involved in more goals than Iheanacho (15) among Premier League players in all competitions this year.

Former England international Karen Carney said: “I think Iheanacho’s confidence has come because he knows when he plays he’s not going to get substituted for Jamie Vardy.
“As a player you’re always looking over your shoulder thinking you are going to get taken off.
“But because he’s playing next to Jamie Vardy he’s confident and that one goal turns into two and three.”

Rodgers said: “The top priority for me as a coach is helping players to develop. It’s been difficult for Kels because of the style we normally played which was one striker – Jamie Vardy.
“We had to change it round with injuries, he’s come in and been exceptional. Not just his goals, he’s so happy to work hard for the team and his quality is phenomenal.”

Iheanacho has shown potency in front of goal recently rarely seen in his career.
His 10 Premier League goals this term outstrips his expected goals – the number of goals he would be expected to score from the chances he receives – by more than three goals, and his shot conversion rate is his highest since joining the Foxes.

Carney said: “I was speaking to Emile Heskey about him and apparently he does these things in training, he’s done it for a very, very long time. But he never really had the confidence when he was given the opportunity in games. That’s changed.

“That’s shifted, he’s now delivering in the games. That type of goal, in the pressure moments when he needs to deliver for his team, he’s pulled it out of the bag and they’ve got three points from it.”
Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel told Sky Sports: “Kele is incredibly intelligent when it comes to his finishing – he knows how to shift and shoot so quickly, he’s so good at the particular one where he shifts it and then puts it through the defender’s legs and wrongfoots the goalkeeper.

“He does it in training all the time. He’s a nightmare in training to be fair. He’s just a big strong lad who can put himself about, he’s fast, he’s got absolutely everything to be a top striker and he’s showing it now, which is great.”