'The quality's there' – Former Man City goalkeeper backs Iheanacho to succeed at Celtic

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has expressed confidence that Kelechi Iheanacho can rediscover his best form at Celtic after a difficult spell in Spain.

Iheanacho endured a frustrating year following his move to Sevilla during the 2024 summer transfer window.

The Nigerian international failed to live up to expectations, leading the La Liga side to terminate his contract at the start of the season.

Now in Scotland with Celtic, Hart believes the striker has what it takes to turn his fortunes around under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, who previously worked with Iheanacho during his early days in England.

Hart was quoted as saying by The Daily Record: "There’s a player in him, and as much as Celtic want to bring in young talent from around the world and nurse them, develop them and then sell them for great profit, there’s also room for people like Kelechi."

"He’s a little bit younger than I was, but didn’t have a good 12 months previous to coming here.

"But my quality was there and I know the quality’s there with Kelechi. It’s just if he wants to be in the room, whether he wants to put it in.

"But Brendan knows him, and it’s such a nice feeling to walk in when you know the coach and you know what he expects of you. You can have some real truthful conversations.

"So if he can bring that to the table then he can find himself a special home when he’s been a bit lost for a couple of months."

Iheanacho was omitted from Nigeria’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.

However, the former Manchester City forward will be hoping that a strong run of form with the Scottish champions will earn him a recall to the Super Eagles setup ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Adeyemi Adewale

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