Iheanacho’s Form Affected By Playing Different Positions – Eguavoen

Leicester City of England star, Kelechi Iheanacho will have to make a choice of being an attacker, winger or midfielder for him to become a better player, megasportsarena.com reports.

This is the verdict of Super Eagles’ interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, who believes the former Columbus Crew of USA and Manchester City of England has not been able to show his true quality because he keeps changing his position of play.

Indeed, after Iheanacho started as a left-sided winger during his days with the Golden Eaglets at UAE 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he emerged most valuable player, he alternated between attacking midfield and support striker with Man City.

In recent years, though, he has been playing as a top striker with Leicester and back-up attacker with the Nigerian national team, but Eguavoen believes that has distracted the youngster and prevents him from giving his best.

Iheanacho’s mentor at Taye Football Academy in Owerri, Imo State has also been known in the past to have declared that the youngster is not an attacker but a midfielder, thereby blaming a succession of coaches for haven taken the shine off the lad’s real quality.

It is now left to be seen how ‘Egu’ will employ Iheanacho during camping ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, as the former captain and head coach opined that Iheanacho is not living up to his potential because he has to play different roles for club and country.

While he is often deployed as a center forward by The Foxes’ coach, Brendan Rodgers, he keeps playing in multiple positions for Nigeria – including top striker, support striker, winger, attacking midfield and playmaker.

However, with the lad fondly called ‘Seniorman Kelz’ still rated as an attacker by Leicester, he is bound to jostle for a spot among the Super Eagles’ strikers going to AFCON 2021, but Eguavoen warned that the lad will have to choose his best spot on the pitch.

Eguavoen told ATHLST: “Iheanacho is okay but the only little problem is in Leicester City he’s playing a different position, he comes to Nigeria he’s playing a different position. I think the sooner he settles for one position I think the better for him.”