BEVERLY HILLS, April 02, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s in-form forward Kelechi Iheanacho, who strikes for English Premier League side Leicester City alongside Jamie Vardy, was named the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for March 2021 on Friday. The 24-year-old found the back of the net five times in March to become only the fourth Nigerian to win the award.
He joins an illustrious class that includes the inimitable Bolton FC’s Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, who won for the month of November in 2003, West Bromwich Albion’s Osaze Peter Odemwingie for the months of September 2010, April 2011, February 2012 and Watford’s Jude Odion Ighalo for December 2015.
The selection of Iheanacho makes him the first player from the King Power Stadium to claim the prize since Jamie Vardy’s October 2019’s pick of the gong. It is a testament to the hardworking character of the Nigerian, who joined the Foxes in an August 3, 2017 move from current league leaders and champions-elect Manchester City, on a five-year-contract worth £25 million.
In his reaction to the news of his award, Iheanacho told the club’s official website: “I’m so pleased and honoured to win this award. I’m really enjoying playing at the minute and hopefully I can push on and help the team to finish as high as possible this season.”
Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes initially were on a good run for qualifying for European places next season with a near-guaranteed top finish until most of the side’s first team players were sidelined by injuries just as there was a noticeable dip in form.
It was when Rodgers tried to arrest that slide, that the lengthening injury list took out influential squad players like Harvey Barnes and Jonny Evans, who joined James Maddison, James Justin Wesley Fofana, Ayoze Perez and Dennis Prae out of selection placing the Foxes’ third place in the standings in danger especially when they could only manage a 1-1 draw against 15th-placed side Burnley early last month.
That was why it was crucial for them that Iheanacho began March by scoring only his second goal of the EPL season. It was a special one too that the Nigerian volleyed with precision to save the Foxes’ blushes and rescue a point in that Burnley tie. The beauty of the goal itself was proven by its being nominated for the Budweiser Goal of the Month award for March.
He improved the month’s tally when he once again help to level the scores for Leicester so that the team could stage a comeback and defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1, coming from behind after conceding first. It was good form for the Nigerian especially with traditional goal-scorer and EPL scoring streak record-holder Vardy suffering an uncharacteristic dip in form.
And, that set the stage nicely for Iheanacho to score his first EPL hat-trick in a space of 39 minutes with a double assist from danger-man Vardy to give Leicester a 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United, a victory that temporarily moved Leicester up to second position on the table in mid-March, and to give Iheanacho the Man-of-the-Match award.
Iheanacho was not done because he followed the hattrick with another impressive Man-of-the-Match display, netting a brace against EPL bigwigs Manchester United. The double goals saw him extend his goal-scoring streak to four consecutive matches, a first for the striker in his professional career, in a month that was nothing short of exceptional for him.
And, because of Iheanacho, Leicester scaled past the Man U hurdle to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1982, ending a string of five previous quarter-final exits.
He illustrated some of the spark in his forward play in the two final qualifying matches that Nigeria’s Super Eagles played during the just concluded international break. Although he did not convert personal chances, his forward movement supporting the attack was beautiful and his assist was pivotal to the opening goal versus the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in the second fixture.
The sterling form that Iheanacho is in at the moment saw him top an eight-man shortlist that included other brilliant EPL players like the impregnable wall of defense that is Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen, the goal getter Harry Kane, freshly-inspired West Ham’s loanee from Man U Jesse Lingard and Champions-Elect goal conductor Riyad Mahrez.
The full cast of those Iheanacho beat also included impressive Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier, dynamic United centre back Luke Shaw and the much-improved forward for West Brom Leandro Trossard.
None other than Pep Guardiola, the eclectic manager of champions-in-waiting City, acknowledged the special attributes that have brought this honour on Iheanacho. As someone with an untrammeled knowledge of the player while Iheanacho was featuring for the blue side of Manchester, and as an astute manager of players, he is best placed to assess the Nigerian.
In his pre-match comments before his leading side meets Iheanacho’s third-placed Foxes on Saturday, Guardiola had nothing but encomiums for the Nigerian:
“Incredible,” he began his description of Iheanacho, “The quality was there, he was a young player here and I believe in that moment with Gabriel and Sergio we didn’t have much space. He is a fantastic person, we had a good relationship together so I’m delighted that it’s going well lately.
“He’s playing for the injured Maddison and of course he links really well with the midfield and he’s good in behind. He’s fast and in the final third he has the right tempo, he’s so clear in front of the goal.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
