KELECHI IHEANACHO IS A MANCHESTER CITY STAR IN MAKING

The 19-year-old Nigerian is no stranger to City fans but is yet to receive a great deal of recognition elsewhere, something which is sure to change in the coming weeks and months

It's time to talk about Kelechi Iheanacho. Manchester City fans know they have got a serious talent on their hands and, soon enough, the rest of the world will know what all the fuss is about.

The 19-year-old Nigerian, recruited after lighting up the 2013 Under-17 World Cup, only got his papers through last February and spent time at Colombus Crew in the United States and was even stationed out in Barcelona as work permit issues dragged on. He was wowing City fans before he was officially a City player - showing flashes on two pre-season tours and impressing for the club's Elite Development Squad - and moments like today feel a long time coming. 

After more than a year's worth of red tape, he has wasted little time showing what he's capable of, but still he is far from a household name

Just seconds into his second ever competitive senior appearance, against Crystal Palace back in September, he drifted into exactly the right area at exactly the right time to score a vital, last-gasp winner for a team who had established themselves as runaway favourites for the title.





Unfortunately for him, that fell the same day as Anthony Martial made his first impression on English football, coming off the bench to score a fairytale goal against Liverpool on his first appearance for Manchester United.

Chelsea had lost to Everton that lunchtime as Jose Mourinho's second spell at Stamford Bridge began to unravel, leaving Iheanacho pushed off the back pages and shunted towards the end of Match of the Day. 

Wider exposure would have to wait. Until today, perhaps. City boss Manuel Pellegrini has been criticised by many fans for failing to give Iheanacho more first-team action, even as Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony have missed out through injury, meaning he has largely had to strut his stuff in cup competitions or in late league cameos. It's hard to say he could have done much more.

The youngster scored on his first senior start, against Palace in the League Cup, and was - finally, in the eyes of some - handed a full Premier League debut against Norwich City in the next game at the end of October. That was one opportunity he failed to grasp and found himself limited to late substitute appearances, often when the game was long lost, for the next 10 weeks: he did not start another league match until January 16. 

In that time another League Cup goal against Hull City seemed to have fallen off the radar of the general football conciousness, and he was very fortunately credited with another dramatic winner, this time when Yaya Toure's shot deflected off his back and looped into the Swansea net.

It was at Norwich City in the last round of the FA Cup when he made it five goals in four starts with a cool effort from the edge of the box, but that strike and an impressive wider performance was limited to short internet highlights for the majority of City fans, let alone neutrals, given the FA Cup's limited television audience - and lack of illegal streams - around the world.

He had linked up well with Aguero in a 4-4-2 that day but the experiment was not particularly successful when tested again in the league against Palace a fortnight ago. 

On Saturday, though, he was chosen as the lead striker in a 4-2-3-1 shape and took full advantage. Just four minutes in he bundled home a corner - another instinctive strike - to put City ahead. Fabian Delph, the former Aston Villa man, had a toy snake waved at him by a young boy as he lined up the set-piece. Instant karma at work in the Midlands.

If Iheanacho's first goal of the day was somewhat scrappy, the second highlighted his huge confidence. Raheem Sterling had looked set to take the penalty he had won seconds earlier, but Kelechi took the ball - without argument, seemingly - put it on the spot, stuttered his run-up to fox Brad Guzan and then slotted the ball slightly to the left of centre of goal. It was one of those penalties that can look terrible if not done properly. But Iheanacho knows what he's doing. 

Clearly. Having been put through on goal thanks to a dreadful back-pass, he advanced on Guzan from just inside the Villa half, kept his cool, sized up the big American stopper, picked his spot and rolled in his hat-trick.

The evidence is there. Playing up front is no easy task for the best of strikers, let alone a 19-year-old, but he has shown that he has what it takes to play the role. The goals will speak for themselves but a fine cross-field through ball to Jesus Navas, reminiscent of his assist for Manu Garcia earlier in the season, was also sublime. 

Iheanacho has scored in all three competitions in which he has played this season and is set to be included in City's Champions League squad when the squad list is re-submitted on Tuesday.

With Wilfried Bony still a couple of weeks away from fitness - and, frankly, having failed to convince - and Aguero unlikely to play every single game from now until the end of the season, Iheanacho is ready to take centre stage.

Given that his previous exploits - largely in the cup - have failed to earn him recognition as one of the Premier League's top propsects, if not one of the best young talents in world football, a stellar showing in the FA Cup against the worst Villa team in recent memory is unlikely to win over a great deal of new followers.

 

     Goal.com