 Iheanacho playing for Leicester City in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kelechi Promise Iheanacho[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 October 1996[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Sevilla | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Taye Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Manchester City | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Manchester City | 46 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2024 | Leicester City | 173 | (35) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Sevilla | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Nigeria U17 | 7 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Nigeria U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015– | Nigeria | 57 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:56, 9 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:51, 18 November 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho MON () (Igbo: Ịheanachọ,[4] born 3 October 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Sevilla and the Nigeria national team.
Iheanacho began his senior career at Manchester City during the 2015–16 season, winning the Football League Cup.[5][6][7] He moved to Leicester City in 2017 for a reported £25 million fee, the largest ever transfer amount for a Nigerian player at the time and the second-largest for an African player after Egyptian Mohamed Salah.[8] Iheanacho was instrumental in Leicester City's 2020–21 FA Cup success, scoring a joint-high four goals across the edition as the club won the trophy for the first time.[9][10] He also scored the match's sole goal from the penalty spot as Leicester lifted the 2021 FA Community Shield.
At international level, Iheanacho represented Nigeria's under-17 team at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, being named the tournament's best player and finishing as the second-highest goalscorer as he led the side to their record fourth title.[11] He would then be included in Nigeria's under-20 team for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup,[12][13] before making his senior international debut later the same year. Since then, he has represented the country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing as runner-up in the latter tournament. Iheanacho was voted the Most Promising African Talent twice in 2013 and 2016 and named as a substitute for the 2016 CAF Team of the Year.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Nigeria" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Kelechi Iheanacho: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Kelechi Iheanacho: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Reason Why 'Ịheanachọ' Has Two Dots Under His Name". CheapGoals. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Iheanacho in City's first team squad next season". Football. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015.
- ^ Rob Pollard. "Why Kelechi Iheanacho Will Be the Next Star to Come Through Man City's Academy". Bleacher Report.
- ^ "Kelechi Iheanacho scores brace in Manchester United U21 defeat". Goal.com. 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Iheanacho completes Foxes move - sources". ESPN. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Peach, Simon (18 April 2021). "Kelechi Iheanacho ends Leicester's 52-year wait for a place in the FA Cup final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Burt, Jason; Tyers, Alan (18 April 2021). "Kelechi Iheanacho strike sends Leicester City into the FA Cup Final at Southampton's expense". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Inyang, Ifreke (8 November 2013). "U-17 World Cup: Iheanacho wins Golden Ball, Silver Boot awards, Alampasu receives Golden Glove". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Leadership Newspaper (29 May 2015). "U-20 World Cup Beginning of Great Things For Iheanacho – Father". Nigerian News from Leadership News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015.
- ^ "Kelechi Iheanacho arrive in New Zealand for U20 World Cup". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015.