'A natural striker' - Celtic coach Rodgers waxes lyrical about red-hot Iheanacho

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed Kelechi Iheanacho as a 'natural striker' and backed the Nigeria international to become a key figure for the Hoops as he continues to settle into life in Glasgow.

Iheanacho joined the Scottish champions on a free transfer this month following his release by Spanish outfit Sevilla. 

Despite his limited involvement in pre-season preparations, Iheanacho has made a fantastic start to his Celtic Park career, either scoring or assisting in each of his first three games.

On his Celtic debut, he quickly endeared himself to the supporters by coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in a hard-fought victory over Kilmarnock.

Speaking ahead of Celtic's Scottish Premiership clash with Hibernian, Rodgers reflected on the balance of his attacking options, admitting the team is still adapting following a turbulent summer.

"It's a consequence of where we were from the summer," Rodgers told reporters.

"So, we have to look to find it. It’s not as natural as it was last year in some ways but I think we can see opportunities there, like Kelechi coming into the team. 

"I know he’s a natural striker and he can do really good things for us. That is part of the challenge, filling in the gaps where we have some."

Rodgers, who worked with Iheanacho at Leicester City, believes he has all the tools to thrive in Scotland.

"He’s only going to get better because I know the player. I know how good he can be and how good he was for me,” Rodgers explained. 

"When he came in, because of the timing of his arrival and everything that surrounded our window, maybe it wasn’t so accepting for him to be in, but there’s absolutely no doubt that of all the players that were available, he was the standout. 

"I know his talent and I know how big a player he can be. Now he’s starting to settle into the squad and he’ll show that during his time here."

Rodgers also underlined the importance of confidence and continuity for strikers, pointing to Iheanacho’s experience at Leicester City, where he often operated in the shadow of Jamie Vardy.

"When he was at Leicester, he was playing a secondary role virtually all the time to Jamie, and obviously Jamie was an incredible player for Leicester.

"That was always a challenge. If you play in a 4-3-3, then you’re never really playing with two strikers unless you change during the game. But anytime he had to produce and come in, he was excellent.

"It’s like with any player – you need to feel the trust of the coach, you need to feel part of an environment and really inclusive of everyone. 

"Then your confidence grows from that. Strikers are confidence players, and I can see that growing with him."

Rodgers added that Iheanacho is in peak physical shape, which is already setting him apart in the squad.

"He’s come back physically in a really good place – his body fat is one of the lowest in our squad, so he’s in a really good way. It’s just catching up on game time, and he can be a big asset for us."

Iheanacho produced so much for Rodgers at Leicester City with 68 goal involvements (43 goals, 25 assists) in 143 games in all competitions. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit: celticfc.com

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