Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho believes he has put fitness concerns firmly behind him after making a dream start to life at Celtic, Footynaija.com reports.
Iheanacho, who endured a frustrating spell at Middlesbrough last season, announced himself to the Hoops faithful on Sunday with a decisive late penalty against Kilmarnock.
The 28-year-old striker’s time at Boro was overshadowed by criticism of his fitness, having arrived on Teesside following months on the fringes at Sevilla. He managed just one goal in the Championship, with questions raised about his condition over the course of his six-month stay.
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However, the Nigeria international insists he is now fully fit and ready to deliver the goods for Celtic as the Scottish Premiership champions eye another season of domestic dominance.
What Kelechi Iheanacho said
“If you really watch the game, you can see I’m making runs to get the ball,” he said in quotes revealed by Teesside Live.
“I’m really fit, I’m ready to go for the season. Am I ready to play 90 minutes? Of course, you’ll see. If you watch the team, you know that there’s a lot of qualities in the team, a lot of great players as well. Getting to know the boys, getting to train with them a lot, I think I’ve learned a lot in the last few days.”
The striker joined Celtic on a free transfer this summer after terminating his deal with Sevilla. His move reunites him with Brendan Rodgers, under whom he played at Leicester, and Iheanacho is confident the manager’s trust will help him rediscover his best form.
“Obviously I’ve worked with the manager over the years and I’ve taken decisive penalties for him as well as the other clubs I’ve played for,” he added.
“He knows me as well, knows I am good on the spot, so he has really big confidence in me. He can bring the best out of me as well. I think coming here is really good for me as well, to play under him, to play in this great club. I’ll give my best for the club.”
With his fitness questioned in England, Iheanacho now has the perfect platform to silence his critics. If his debut is anything to go by, it appears the Super Eagles star is ready to prove them wrong.
