Former Celtic forward Chris Sutton has heaped praises on Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho after his recent performances at the club.
The Super Eagles striker joined the Scottish champions on a free transfer last summer after leaving Sevilla. He enjoyed an impressive start but his campaign was blighted by injuries, which disrupted his campaign.
It also saw him lose his spot in the starting lineup and he is yet to start a game for the club since returning from injury in 2026.
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Meanwhile, his future also remains uncertain at the club, with no news over an extension so far which could see him become a free transfer at the end of the season.
Sutton hails Iheanacho’s impact
Kelechi Iheanacho has enjoyed a resurgent run in recent matches, pulling up with match winners to help Celtic to victory.
The Nigerian forward scored twice in the 6-2 win over St Mirren to help Celtic into the Scottish Cup final and he was made the decisive contribution to score the winner few minutes after coming on in the 2-1 win over Hibernian last week.
Speaking during an interview, Sutton who played for the Hoops between 2000 and 2006, has revealed how impressed he has been with Iheanacho’s contributions to the club this season.
“I don’t know why he’s not starting games, but I find it remarkable because he’s trained for a long time but Martin only uses him sparingly,” Sutton said.
“Iheanacho in the Premier League, watching him alongside Jamie Vardy, had a top level of fitness, and he’s such an intelligent player. Not just a goalscorer, he’s a player who has good awareness, vision, holds the play.”
However, the former Chelsea forward identified one area the Nigerian forward must improve on to make his game better in coming seasons.
“At times, he can be lazy, he doesn’t work hard enough, he’s not mobile, he doesn’t get on the side of the ball, and that’s the issue”, he concluded.
Celtic are in contention to win the Scottish title with just one point adrift of top spot with just two matches remaining.
Meanwhile, they will also face Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final later in the month, giving them a chance to win a double at the end of the season.
