You don’t have to be a football lover to know the ever-bubbling, funny, and exciting Nigerian Footballer, Kelechi Iheanacho. Kelechi Promise Iheanacho is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Leicester City and the Nigeria national team.
Senior man Kelz gained massive recognition around the globe following his tremendous exploits at the U-17 World Cup. Undoubtedly, Iheanacho is one of the most loved Nigerian Footballers, given his funny jokes with close friend and teammate Wilfred Ndidi.
Together with his two siblings and other friends on the street and at his school, Kelechi played football every day. As a child, football was the only sport he ever desired to participate in. His older siblings were also football players, and they were pretty talented but lacked the level of determination their younger brother.
As a young player, Kelechi was not only bright and talented, but he was also one of the top three students in his class throughout his years in Nursery and Primary school. Iheanacho is talented both on and off the field.
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Kelechi Iheanacho Biography & Personal Life
Iheanacho was born in Imo State, Nigeria. He started his football career at Taye Academy in Owerri before joining the Taye Academy feeder team, Heartland F.C. of Owerri, where he won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball award as his country won the tournament. He joined Manchester City in January 2014, making his senior debut in August 2015 and scoring 14 goals in 46 matches across all competitions before joining Leicester City in August 2017 for £25 million.
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He represented Nigeria at under-17 and under-20 levels, winning the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup and 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior debut in 2015 and represented Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
But these are obvious facts, here are a few things that you may not have known about this talented Nigerian star.
Name | Kelechi Promise Iheanacho |
Date of birth | October 3rd, 1996 |
Place of birth | Obogwe, Imo State |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Position | Attacking midfield/ striker |
Stronger foot | Left |
Height | 1.85 m |
Current club | Leicester City |
Market value | €18 million |
Net Worth | £22.36 million |
Seniorman Kelz was born on October 3, 1996, in the town of Obogwe, which is located in the Ohaji Egbema local government area of Imo State.
Iheanacho’s father is a businessman, while his mother was a schoolteacher who passed away when he was only 14 years old. Iheanacho is the youngest of three siblings. Chibuike Iheanacho is one among them, and he sees immense potential in the youngster.
When he was a kid, his parents beat him up for participating in organized football games with his friends. Nevertheless, as he led Imo State to victory in an Abuja youth competition, they began to back him up.
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho was born in Obogwe, Imo State, on October 3, 2020, to Mr. James and Mrs. Mercy Iheanacho. He’s a Nigerian professional footballer and plays for Leicester City.
When he was barely 14 years old, he lost his mother and was forced to live with his father his two brothers, and a sister. Kelechi Iheanacho was a standout player for the Nigerian youth team, winning the 2013 U-17 FIFA World Cup. He began his career at Taye Academy in Owerri, Imo State, before his move abroad.
Kelechi traveled to England in 2012 to sign a pre-contract agreement with Manchester City, although he would not be able to join the club until his 18th birthday in 2014. A few years later, in 2013, Kelechi Iheanacho was awarded the most promising young player in Africa by CAF.
Manchester City’s Academy enabled him to join the team on a pre-season tour of the United States of America, where he could learn more about the club. Iheanacho has been recognized in so many events. Here’s a list of top events that Iheanacho has been recognized at:
- Golden Ball, FIFA Under-17 World Cup: 2013
- CAF Most Promising Talent: 2013, 2016
- CAF Team of the Year: 2016
- Silver Shoe, FIFA Under 17 World Cup: 2013
- Silver Shoe CAF Under 17 African Championship: 2013
- English Premier League Player of the Month: March 2021
Here’s a highlight of Iheanacho’s performance over the years.
Club | Appearance | Goals |
Manchester City | 64 | 21 |
Leicester City | 156 | 44 |
Nigeria Super Eagles | 42 | 12 |
Iheanacho’s honors may not be as much as he would want, but he has a few medals to show for his blistering career. The table below shows some of his awards
Team | Honor | Year |
Manchester City | League cup | 2015-2016 |
Leicester City | FA cup, community shield | 2021 |
Nigeria | FIFA U-17 World Cup | 2013 |
Ihenacho Club And Transfer History
Iheanacho attracted interest from Arsenal, Sporting CP, and FC Porto, among other European clubs, due to his impressive displays for Nigeria in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, he chose to sign for the blue side of Manchester. On January 10, 2014, the youngster joined Manchester City. During City’s first preseason tour in the United States, he scored in a 4-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City.
In a 5-1 victory against A.C Milan, the youngster sent the ball soaring into the goal. Iheanacho was also included in City’s pre-season tour squad in Australia in July 2015. During the tournament, he won the hearts of many football fans. In the 2015 International Champions Cup, he put up the opening goal for Raheem Sterling in Australia and helped City come out on top over Roma.
Manchester City’s Iheanacho also set up Raheem Sterling for the fourth goal in Manchester City’s 8–1 win against Vietnam. He continued his excellent form by scoring for City in a 4-2 loss to VFB Stuttgart in City’s last preseason game.
Kelechi was promoted to the Manchester City senior team after garnering much praise and outperforming expectations during City’s games in Australia.
Iheanacho was on the bench as they triumphed 3-0 in their first Premier League game. His competitive debut for Manchester City came against Watford. Furthermore, After replacing Wilfried Bony in an away encounter against Crystal Palace on September 12, 2015, the Wonder Child scored his debut goal, which also served as the game’s lone and winning goal.
Iheanacho has had numerous more standout performances for Manchester City. Kelechi Iheanacho brought down the stadium and captured the hearts of City supporters worldwide on January 30 as he scored his first hat-trick against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Leicester City
For a reported £25 million, Leicester City signed Iheanacho to a five-year deal on August 3rd, 2017. He made his debut for the club on August 11th, 2017, in a 4–3 loss at Arsenal. On October 24, 2017, he scored his first goal for Leicester City in an EFL Cup match against Leeds United. Seconds after Iheanacho’s first goal, he was granted a goal because of VAR, as the referee declared him offside for his second goal.
Iheanacho only started two of Leicester’s first 21 Premier League games in the 2020-21 season since he wasn’t in the team’s first-choice starting eleven at the start of the season. However, several injuries meant that Iheanacho could get more minutes on the pitch. In March and April, Iheanacho scored 12 goals in 10 appearances in all competitions.
On 14 March 2021, Iheanacho scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5–0 victory against Sheffield United. He followed that by scoring two goals and contributing another in Leicester’s 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final triumph against Manchester United a week later, putting them into the semi-final of their first semi-final appearance since 1981–82. Iheanacho’s two goals were his eighth and ninth in nine games in all competitions. Furthermore, five goals in three league games led to him being voted as Premier League Player of the Month for March 2021.
At least until 2024, Iheanacho has a contract extension with Leicester City after signing a new three-year deal on April 3. Iheanacho’s goal against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals on April 18 ensured a 1–0 victory for Leicester City, ensuring the Foxes made their first appearance in the FA Cup final since 1969 victory.
International Career
Kelechi began representing Nigeria in international competitions when he was just 13. His first involvement in an international tournament was at the 2013 African U-17 Championship. Kelechi demonstrated his outstanding abilities by scoring a hat-trick in a match against Botswana. Sadly, two months before the tournament, he had lost his mother. After scoring In the game against Botswana, he paid tribute to his mother in his celebration.
Even though Iheanacho assisted the squad in reaching the tournament’s finals, they were unable to triumph against Ivory Coast. Kelechi played an essential part for Nigeria in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil. He also took home the Golden Ball prize, as Nigeria emerged victoriously.
Kelechi scored six goals in the tournament, including the game-winning goal in the final. He also scored three goals. In addition, he represented Nigeria in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, where he appeared in two games.
Kelechi made his debut appearance as a senior and as a member of a senior team in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification game against Namibia. Furthermore, he was a member of the Nigerian National Team, which consisted of 30 players, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Iheanacho Deals And Partnership
Kelechi Iheanacho has made waves from the beginning of his professional career. In addition to his football contract, wages, and incentives, the Nigerian player has increased his net worth by signing expensive sponsorship agreements. Kelechi was recently named as a brand ambassador for Multichoice Nigeria with his co-national teammate, Ndidi Wilfred, in June 2021.
The length and financial value of this deal are unknown. Nonetheless, it is expected that such a transaction would significantly increase his net worth.
Controversies About Kelechi Iheanacho
Iheanacho’s career so far, though it has relatively low controversy, is not entirely devoid of it. Iheanacho’s notable, controversial moment is his non-compliance with fair play. Non-compliance with the fair play rule is not a punishable offense. It’s more or less a moral problem, and if upheld, it says a lot about the game — it’s a competition, not combat.
Years ago, great players like Di Canio demonstrated the fair play rule and garnered worldwide plaudits and recognition from FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body. A foul occurred in the 34th minute of the first half of the game involving Leicester and Norwich, causing the visitors to toss the ball to Iheanacho following the fair play rule.
Iheanacho was supposed to kick the ball back to Norwich’s teammates, to the sideline, or anywhere other than into the goal. To correctly restart the game, he had to choose one of these choices. However, the Nigerian chose the ‘forbidden alternative’ of scoring a ‘cheap’ goal. The Norwich players were enraged at Iheanacho’s actions, which almost ended in a brawl.
The Norwich players’ response was intended to draw VAR’s attention so that Iheanacho may be sent off. Even though this was Iheanacho’s 100th game in the Barclays English Premier League for two teams, Leicester and Manchester City, a quick-thinking Leicester manager, Brendan Rodgers, took the Nigerian out in the 38th minute.
Rather than keeping Iheanacho on the field to complete the game, Rodgers elected to withdraw the Nigerian, much to the chagrin of soccer fans.
Kelechi Iheanacho House, Assets, Net Worth
Kelechi Iheanacho’s net worth stands at £22.36 million after a brief stint with Manchester City and Leicester City. He is recognized as one of Nigeria’s highest-paid players, and as a core Nigerian from the east, he spends his money wisely.
Iheanacho’s main source of wealth is football. As a Leicester City player, he earns 115,000 pounds per week. Before joining Leicester City, he was paid a weekly salary of 85,000 pounds at Manchester City
Iheanacho has a property in Manchester worth $2.4 million (970 million) and a mansion in Lagos worth about $2.8 million (1.07 billion)
Kelechi Iheanacho has a penchant for showy, fast vehicles. Looking at his garage and vehicle collections, it is clear that he has a strong affinity for autos. He has been seen with a Range Rover, a BMW 18 worth about $260K, and a Mercedes c300 valued at $41,495.
Rumors regarding Iheanacho’s marriage have been circulating for some time, but there is no evidence to back them up. However, Iheanacho is allegedly in a relationship for about five years with a lady known as Miss Amaka.
Ex-BBNaija stars Nina and Chloe have also been rumored to be in a relationship with the footballer.
What is Kelechi Iheanacho’s market value?
The market worth of Super Eagles offensive ace Kelechi Iheanacho has increased from €12 million to €15 million in the Premier League’s newest market value updates on Transfermarkt. As a result of Leicester City’s forward’s better performances in the 2020/2021 season, his market worth has increased by €3 million.
What is Iheanacho’s FIFA 22 rating?
FIFA 22 currently has Kelechi Iheanacho’s rating at 78, with a possible rating of 82 (+4 increase). Iheanacho has a moderate attacking work rate and a medium defensive work rate; he performs well in both areas.
Why did Iheanacho leave Manchester City?
Iheanacho joined the King Power Stadium from Manchester City in 2017 for a rumored £25 million transfer fee. Following the arrival of Pep Guardiola, he felt he could not accommodate Iheanacho, Gabriel Jesus, and Manchester City was ready to allow Iheanacho to leave the club.
Conclusion
And that’s the play-by-play of Kelechi Iheanacho’s journey! From his inspiring biography to the digits in his net worth, we’ve navigated the highs and goals of his football career. Kelechi’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and netting success on the field. Here’s to the football maestro, his impressive net worth, and the many more goals he’s bound to score in the beautiful game!
I want to travel for work and continue my football