Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho has revealed details of how he felt when he heard he was moving to Manchester City.
Iheanacho won 2013 U-17 World Cup in UAE with Nigeria, and also won the Golden Ball after seven assists and six goals including four strikes in a group-stage victory over Mexico. His performance engineered his move to the Etihad in 2014.
Within a year of signing for the Cityzens, Iheanacho was promoted to the first team and in his debut season at the Etihad, he won the League Cup.
Speaking in an interview with LCFC, he spoke about the move saying: “I didn’t believe that it was going to happen.”
“After the U-17 World Cup, I was looking at going to other teams in Europe.
“But when they said I was going to Manchester City, I was surprised and saying, ‘How can I go there to that massive team? Am I going to play?’ I said that I wouldn’t go and that they should take me to a smaller team.
“However, my father said to me that it doesn’t matter where I go, I know how to play football and that I will get through there. So, I believed in him, he blessed me and I went to Man City.”
Iheanacho added that French defender Gael Clichy toughened him up at City.
“Gael Clichy, I called him my teacher,” Iheanacho stated.
“He’s the one who taught me how to go and get what you want and how to be tough and fight on the pitch, because he is a fighter. He never gets tired.
“He was always with me and pushing me. If he was against me (in training), he was going to kick me and say that I have to stand and fight back. I will never forget his kind words and teaching. He was my closest friend.
“Obviously, I didn’t get to play much but I was part of a big squad with brilliant players to win that. It was exciting. There were a lot of them (quality players). Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, who always talked to me and gave me advice.”
The 26-year-old scored 21 goals in 64 games for Man City before joining Leicester City in 2017.