The announcement on Monday that Bayern
Munich coach Pep Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester
City in the summer caused a stir, with many expecting the new order to
bring significant
changes to the English club.
Already, there are indications that some
players, including Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, would leave the
club at the end of the season due to the change. But for Nigeria forward
Kelechi Iheanacho, the coming of Guardiola seems to hold a great
promise.
The profile of Iheanacho, who was the
Most Valuable Player at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, has been on the
rise lately, with the forward getting more playing time with City’s
senior team.
With his hat trick against Aston Villa
in the FA Cup last weekend, Iheanacho took his goal tally for City to
eight this season – two goals in Capital One Cup, four in the FA Cup and
two in the Premier League.
The performance earned him a
starting role in their 1-0 win away to Sunderland on Tuesday. He took
the place of Kevin De Bruyne, who was ruled out for 10 weeks due to
injury.
Iheanacho would also be available when
City play Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League round of 16 as he was
included in the club’s squad for the knockout stages of the top European
competition.
Justifying his decision to include
Iheanacho in the Champions League squad, Pellegrini said, “We need
Kelechi now because (Wilfried) Bony is also injured and we cannot take
the risk that something happens with (Sergio Aguero) and we don’t have a
striker for the round of 16. So, Kelechi will be in the Champions
League.”
With the inclusion, Pellegrini has shown
that Iheanacho has become an important player for City, but ex-Nigeria
internationals, Nduka Ugbade and Jonathan Akpoborie, believe the
youngster will be even more important to the cub when Guardiola takes
over.
The duo told our correspondent on
Thursday that Iheanacho has shown himself to be the kind of player the
former Barcelona coach would love to work with.
Ugbade, who had worked with Iheanacho as
the assistant coach of the Golden Eaglets that won the 2013 FIFA U-17
World Cup, said the 19-year-old was well-equipped to play for Guardiola,
having been groomed with a football philosophy similar to that of the
Spanish coach.
“I believe Iheanacho will to flourish
under Guardiola. He is well equipped. Except for other reasons,
Guardiola will like him because what he has learnt is the same
philosophy,” Ugbade said.
“Guardiola will surely like Iheanacho
because it is the same philosophy that Guardiola uses that we used to
train him. Guardiola likes players who perform very well and are
extremely intelligent. Iheanacho is going to be one of the best
Manchester City players under Guardiola.”
Akpoborie, who played for some German clubs including Wolfsburg, said Guardiola’s move to City was a good news for Iheanacho.
“Initially, I was skeptical when he
(Iheanacho) chose Manchester City, but now he is developing and he is
playing. Guardiola is a coach that works with young players. So it is a
welcome development for him that Guardiola is coming,” Akpoborie said.
“I believe when the coach comes next
summer, Iheanacho will play even more games. You can see that the young
players in Bayern are having more playing time and it was the same when
the Guardiola was at Barcelona. He works with young players.”
Akpoborie also said with his ball
control, skill and vision, Iheanacho would easily fit into any team in
the world if he is given the chance.
“He is a skillful player. I don’t think
he will have any problem fitting into Guardiola’s team. It is a
plus-plus situation for him that Guardiola is coming,” the former Super
Eagles forward said.
Meanwhile, Guardiola has said his move to City will not distract him this season in Bundesliga.
The 45-year-old, who has won 19 trophies including six league and two European Cup titles.
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