Kelechi Iheanacho becomes first Nigerian to win Leicester City’s POTY award

Kelechi Iheanacho has been awarded 2022/23 Leicester City Player of the Season following his outstanding campaign during the just concluded Premier League season.

Despite Leicester City’s struggles which led to their relegation to the Championship, the Nigerian scored five goals and registered five assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League and also bagged three goals in three appearances in the FA Cup which ensured he finished the season with eight goals and five assists in all competitions.

Iheanacho found the net in wins over Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wolverhampton in the Premier League, and helped the Foxes reach the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup with goals against Gillingham FC and Walsall.

The 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup Golden Ball winner scored two goals in three matches under the newly appointed manager Dean Smith before he sustained an injury against Leeds United.

His league goal contributions are laudable because he started only 11 games and came on as a substitute in 17 games.

Although after missing four matches he returned on the final day of the season for the fixture against West Ham, it appears too late as Leicester were already doomed to be chopped from the English topflight.

With the club in relegation, Leicester City’s annual awards night was canceled, and little fanfare was made of the award going to Iheanacho.

The 26-year-old became the first Nigerian to win Leicester City’s Player of the Year award and the first African to win the award since Algerian forward, Riyad Mahrez did the same in 2016.

However, with just one-year left on Iheanacho’s Leicester contract, it remained unseen if the former Manchester City forward will remain at the King Power stadium.