2013 Under-17 World Cup-winning coach Manu Garba believes that Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho’s on-field struggles of late could be due to bad influences from friends off the pitch.
Iheanacho was the star of the youth tournament in the United Emirates seven years ago where he won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball.
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Having impressed with the City youth squad, he made an instant impact when he was drafted into the first team, scoring on his debut and going on to net 14 goals for the entire 2015-16 season.
His stock began to fall when Pep Guardiola arrived at the Etihad Stadium, and he was eventually sold to Leicester City for £25 million in 2017.
Although he has shown flashes of brilliance on occasion, Iheanacho is not a first-team regular and has most often come off the bench in his 89 appearances, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists
“I’m still wondering how Kelechi didn’t emerge as one of the best in England,” he told The Athletic.
“He might have fallen under bad influences from friends, coming from a poor background to an improved status. That can become a distraction when you are so young, but I have seen the old Iheanacho at Leicester.”
