Exclusive: Nigeria Coach Reveals Man City Monitored Iheanacho For FOUR Years Before Signing Him

Published: November 21, 2016

Nigeria U15 coach Danladi Nasidi has revealed that Manchester City were tracking the progress of Kelechi Iheanacho four years before he penned a preliminary contract with the Etihad outfit.

The Citizens could not reach an agreement with representatives of the Nigeria international in 2010 because he was a minor and the Nigeria Football Federation blocked the move.

“Manchester City came for Kelechi Iheanacho in 2010 after he won the top scorer award in a tournament we participated in the United Kingdom. He has been my highest goalscorer since the U13, ”Nasidi told allnigeriasoccer.com.

“About 20 clubs participated in the competition, City wanted to sign most of these players but the NFF refused to reach an agreement.

“I have been told two teams are interested in signing Kelechi now. He is doing fine in Man City, I want him to stay and grow with City before moving to another club.”

It is thought that Iheanacho struggled to replicate his earlier performances for the national team in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier versus Algeria, and one of the coaches that nurtured him has explained that he was played out of position by manager Rohr.

“Kelechi is not a number nine, he doesn’t like defenders to mark him. He is a supporting striker, sometimes I played him as a winger, from the left.

“I also played him in the midfield, he takes shots because he is free in midfield. If you put him as a top striker, he won’t be able to shoot.

“I think he did well against Algeria. The attention was on him as a number nine and he carried the defenders away from their positions and that’s why Moses scored two goals, ” Nasidi concluded.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : mancity.com