Kelechi Iheanacho facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the footballer born in 1996. For the footballer born in 1981, see Kelechi Iheanacho (footballer, born 1981).

Quick facts for kids
Kelechi Iheanacho

Iheanacho playing for Leicester City in 2021

Personal information

Full name

Kelechi Promise Iheanacho

Date of birth

3 October 1996 (age 28)

Place of birth

Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Height

1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)

Position(s)

Forward

Team information

Current team

Sevilla

Number

Youth career

2011–2014

Taye Academy

2014–2015

Manchester City

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2015–2017

Manchester City

(12)

2017–2024

Leicester City

173

(35)

2024–

Sevilla

(0)

2025

→ Middlesbrough (loan)

(1)

International career^‡

2013–2015

Nigeria U17

(8)

2015–2017

Nigeria U20

(0)

2015–

Nigeria

(15)

Medal record

Men's football

Representing Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up	2023
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Winner	2013

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:45, 3 May 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:24, 31 May 2025 (UTC)

Kelechi Promise Iheanacho is a talented Nigerian footballer. He was born on October 3, 1996. Kelechi plays as a forward for La Liga club Sevilla. He also plays for the Nigeria national team.

Iheanacho started his professional career at Manchester City in the 2015–16 season. There, he won the Football League Cup. In 2017, he moved to Leicester City. This was a big transfer for a Nigerian player at the time. He helped Leicester City win the 2020–21 FA Cup for the first time. He also scored the winning goal for Leicester in the 2021 FA Community Shield.

Kelechi has also done great things for his country. He played for Nigeria's under-17 team in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He was named the best player in that tournament. He helped his team win their fourth title. He later played for the under-20 team. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2015. He has played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, his team finished as runner-up. Kelechi was named the Most Promising African Talent twice.

Kelechi Iheanacho's Club Career

Starting at Manchester City

Early Days and Youth Football

Iheanacho with Manchester City in 2015

Kelechi Iheanacho was born in Owerri, Nigeria. As a young player, he played for Taye Academy. His amazing skills at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup caught the eye of many European clubs. In December 2012, he visited England to talk about joining Manchester City. He signed an agreement to join them officially when he turned 18. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) named him the Most Promising Talent of the Year for 2013.

Iheanacho officially joined Manchester City's Academy in January 2015. He even joined the first team for a pre-season tour in the United States. He scored goals against Sporting Kansas City and Milan.

It took some time to get his work permit, so he could not play in England until February 2015. He played for Manchester City's youth and under-21 teams. He scored in the FA Youth Cup final. He also scored the only goal to help Manchester City win the 2014–15 Premier League International Cup.

Making His Mark: 2015–16 Season

In July 2015, Iheanacho joined City's pre-season tour in Australia. He showed off his skills by setting up goals and scoring against Roma and the Vietnam national team. Because of his great performances, he was promoted to the Manchester City senior team.

He made his first team debut on August 29, 2015, against Watford. He scored his first goal on September 12, 2015, against Crystal Palace. It was the only goal of the game.

On January 30, 2016, Iheanacho scored his first hat-trick against Aston Villa in the FA Cup. He also helped set up another goal in that game. He scored against Tottenham Hotspur and twice against Stoke City. He also scored two goals against Southampton. Iheanacho finished the 2015–16 season with 8 Premier League goals. He scored a goal every 93.9 minutes, which was the best rate of any player. He ended the season as City's third-highest scorer with 14 goals and 5 assists.

Continuing Success: 2016–17 Season

On September 10, 2016, Iheanacho started in the Manchester derby. He scored his first goal of the season and helped set up another in a 2–1 win for City. Four days later, he scored his first European goal for Manchester City in a 4–0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He then scored his 10th Premier League goal before turning 20. This put him on a special list with players like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.

In October 2016, Iheanacho was nominated for the FIFA Golden Boy award. His last goal for City came against Huddersfield in an FA Cup replay.

Moving to Leicester City

First Seasons: 2017–2020

Iheanacho joined Leicester City on August 3, 2017. He signed a five-year contract. He made his debut for Leicester on August 11, 2017, against Arsenal. He scored his first goal for Leicester in an EFL Cup match against Leeds United in October 2017. In January 2018, he became the first player in English football to be awarded a goal using the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

FA Cup Glory: 2020–21 Season

At the start of the 2020–21 season, Iheanacho was not always in the starting team. But injuries to other players gave him more chances to play. He then went on an amazing scoring run, with 12 goals in 10 games.

He scored his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United on March 14, 2021. A week later, he scored two goals against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals. This sent Leicester into the semi-finals for the first time in many years. Iheanacho won the Premier League Player of the Month award for March 2021.

On April 3, he signed a new three-year contract with Leicester. On April 18, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final. This win took Leicester to their first FA Cup final since 1969.

Later Seasons at Leicester: 2021–2024

Iheanacho and Leicester started the 2021–22 season by winning the 2021 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. Iheanacho came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal from a penalty kick against his old club.

In the 2022–23 season, Iheanacho received Leicester's Player of the Year award. However, the club was relegated from the Premier League.

In the 2023–24 season, Iheanacho scored six goals. His club won the EFL Championship, which meant they were promoted back to the Premier League. On June 7, 2024, Leicester announced that Iheanacho would leave the club.

Joining Sevilla and Loan to Middlesbrough

On July 31, 2024, Iheanacho joined Spanish club Sevilla for free. Then, on February 3, 2025, Iheanacho moved to Championship club Middlesbrough on loan. He will play there until the end of the 2024–25 season.

Kelechi Iheanacho's International Career

Iheanacho with Nigeria in 2017

Youth Teams

Iheanacho has played for Nigeria's youth teams since he was 13. He played in the 2013 African U-17 Championship. He scored a hat-trick against Botswana. Nigeria reached the final but lost to Ivory Coast.

He played a very important part in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He won the Golden Ball award for the best player in the tournament. Nigeria won the competition, and Iheanacho scored six goals and made seven assists. He was also part of the Nigeria squad for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Senior National Team

Iheanacho made his debut for the senior Nigeria team in a World Cup qualifying match in 2015. His first start was in March 2016, in a match against Egypt.

In May 2016, he played in friendly matches against Mali and Luxembourg. He scored in both games. He also scored important goals in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and 2018 World Cup qualification matches.

In June 2018, he was chosen for Nigeria's squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In December 2021, Iheanacho was part of Nigeria's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored Nigeria's first goal of the tournament against Egypt.

In December 2023, he was called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. In the semi-final match against South Africa, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout. This helped his country reach the final.

Player Style and Recognition

How He Plays

Kelechi Iheanacho is known as the Senior Man in Nigeria. He is known for his great vision, dribbling skills, speed, and ability to score goals. He mainly plays as a striker. Experts say he is one of the most effective strikers in England.

What People Say About Him

Iheanacho first became famous after the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013. His former manager, Manuel Pellegrini, called him an important and hard-working player. Brendan Rodgers, another manager, described him as an incredible, hard-working, and talented player with no ego. The FA Cup named him one of the most iconic black players in the history of the competition. Many media outlets have called him the "deadliest striker in Europe."

Former British football stars Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have called him a "bag of talents" with great speed and potential. His teammate, Isaac Success, said Iheanacho is the best player he has ever played with.

In 2015-2016, Iheanacho had the best goals-per-minute record in Premier League history. He is the only African player to achieve this. He was called the "Most Prolific Goal Scorer" by The Daily Telegraph and Sky Sports. Former England player Rio Ferdinand said Kelechi is the best Nigerian player in the Premier League. Young Nigerian football players often look up to Iheanacho. He admires players like Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, and Leo Messi. He also looks up to Ronaldinho and Sergio Aguero. He sees Jamie Vardy as a motivation to become a better player. He also wants to be like Nigerian legends Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu.

Goal Celebration

When Iheanacho scores a goal, he often goes on his knees and points both hands to the sky. This celebration is inspired by his favorite wrestler, Bryan Danielson. In 2023, the wrestler even recognized him after Iheanacho helped Nigeria win a match against Mexico.

Personal Life

Kelechi Iheanacho is from the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria. He is a Christian.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	2015–16	Premier League	26	8	3	4	2	2	4	0	—		35	14
	2016–17	Premier League	20	4	3	1	2	0	4	2	—		29	7
	Total		46	12	6	5	4	2	8	2	—		64	21
Leicester City	2017–18	Premier League	21	3	5	4	2	1	—		—		28	8
	2018–19	Premier League	30	1	1	0	4	1	—		—		35	2
	2019–20	Premier League	20	5	2	1	4	4	—		—		26	10
	2020–21	Premier League	25	12	6	4	1	0	7	3	—		39	19
	2021–22	Premier League	26	4	1	1	3	1	12	1	1	1	43	8
	2022–23	Premier League	28	5	3	3	4	0	—		—		35	8
	2023–24	Championship	23	5	1	0	2	1	—		—		26	6
	Total		173	35	19	13	20	8	19	4	1	1	232	61
Sevilla	2024–25	La Liga	9	0	2	3	—		—		—		11	3
Middlesbrough (loan)	2024–25	Championship	15	1	—		—		—		—		15	1
Career total			243	48	27	21	24	10	27	6	1	1	322	86

International Appearances

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Nigeria	2015	1	0
	2016	6	4
	2017	7	4
	2018	11	0
	2020	4	1
	2021	9	2
	2022	6	1
	2023	6	3
	2024	7	0
	2025	2	0
Total		59	15

Nigeria score listed first, score column indicates score after each Iheanacho goal.

List of international goals scored by Kelechi Iheanacho
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 May 2016	Stade Robert Diochon, Rouen, France	Mali	1–0	1–0	Friendly
2	31 May 2016	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg	Luxembourg	2–0	3–1	Friendly
3	3 September 2016	Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria	Tanzania	1–0	1–0	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4	9 October 2016	Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia	Zambia	2–0	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	23 March 2017	The Hive Stadium, London, England	Senegal	1–1	1–1	Friendly
6	1 June 2017	Stade Municipal de Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, Paris, France	Togo	3–0	3–0	Friendly
7	1 September 2017	Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria	Cameroon	4–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	14 November 2017	Krasnodar Stadium, Krasnodar, Russia	Argentina	1–2	4–2	Friendly
9	13 October 2020	Jacques Lemans Arena, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria	Tunisia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
10	3 September 2021	Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria	Liberia	1–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	3 September 2021	Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria	Liberia	2–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	11 January 2022	Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua, Cameroon	Egypt	1–0	1–0	2021 Africa Cup of Nations
13	18 June 2023	Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia, Liberia	Sierra Leone	3–2	3–2	2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
14	13 October 2023	Estádio Municipal de Portimão, Portimão, Portugal	Saudi Arabia	2–1	2–2	Friendly
15	19 November 2023	Stade Huye, Butare, Rwanda	Zimbabwe	1–1	1–1	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification