Kelechi Iheanacho: Nigeria striker says ‘big project’ at Bursaspor drove surprise move from Celtic

Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho says Bursaspor’s “big project” and drive to return to the Turkish Super Lig convinced him to leave Celtic for the second-tier club.

The 29-year-old has joined the Bursa side after a short spell in Scotland, signing up for a campaign in which promotion has been set as the club’s overriding goal.

Bursaspor, former champions of Turkey, have climbed back to the second division after winning promotion from the third tier and are seeking a rapid return to the elite.

‘This is a big project’

Speaking to the club’s media team, Iheanacho said the combination of Bursaspor’s history and long-term ambitions persuaded him to make the switch.

“Bursaspor is a big team in Turkey. I heard they won the Turkish Super League before. When I hear the project they have and how they want to go all the way to the Super League and to play in Europe as well, I said this is a big project and it’s very good for me to come and be involved and help the team,” Iheanacho told the club’s media.

The Nigeria international revealed that he was so convinced by the vision presented to him that he instructed his representatives to prioritise the transfer.

“I asked my agent to make sure he do everything possible to make sure I come to Bursaspor. There’s a big project and I hope I’m going to be part of it and I’m going to help the team,” he added.

Nigerian legacy at Bursaspor

Iheanacho admitted he did not seek extensive advice before agreeing the move but was aware that the club has previously been home to several Nigerian players.

“To be fair, I didn’t talk to anyone about it, but I think I checked and before I know some Nigerian players that play in Bursaspor, Shehu Abdullahi and Mikel Agu, and I can’t remember all of them, but there’s players that have played in this team before and I know it’s a fantastic team and it’s a very good team,” he said.

The presence of compatriots in the club’s recent past, allied to its title-winning history and the chance to spearhead a promotion campaign, appears to have strengthened his resolve to join.

‘I am very competitive’

The former Manchester City and Leicester City striker also outlined the mentality he intends to bring to the dressing room in Bursa.

“I am very competitive. I’m very demanding of my teammates and I like them to demand of me as well. I’m a team player, and I like to win. I like to win every game a lot,” he stated.

While he acknowledged that every player has personal targets, Iheanacho insisted he is more focused on the collective objective for the season.

“I’m a kind of player that obviously everyone has their targets that they set, but me, I like to take it one game at a time because nobody knows what the future holds,” he explained.

Promotion ‘before individual targets’

Bursaspor’s hierarchy have made no secret of their desire to re-establish the club among the country’s elite, and Iheanacho underlined that promotion is the squad’s shared priority.

“We know what we want as a team, but collectively as a team hopefully we achieve the promotion. That is our main target before the individual target of a player. My target is for us to go to the Super League,” he concluded.

Iheanacho arrives in Turkey with considerable top-level experience, having previously represented Manchester City and Leicester City in the Premier League and also enjoyed spells at Sevilla, Middlesbrough and Celtic.

His move gives Bursaspor an established international forward as they seek to complete a rapid rise back to the Turkish Super Lig and, eventually, a return to European competition.