Discover the top 20 Premier League stars under the age of 21
By Tushar Bahl
5. Kelechi Iheanacho
The 20-year old Nigerian striker came through the Manchester City academy and has risen quickly to become a first-team regular for the club. Brilliant performances for the academy team led to his inclusion in City’s pre-season tour in 2015.
Iheanacho impressed during the pre-season and was promoted to the senior squad. His debut came in August 2015 in the 2-0 win over Watford. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal to earn Manchester City the win against Crystal Palace. Things got even better for Iheanacho as he scored a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the FA Cup in January 2016.
That led to City adding him to their UEFA Champions League squad at the expense of Samir Nasri. Since then Iheanacho has never looked back, and has become a great source of goals for Manchester City. He ended last season with 14 goals despite making only 11 starts.
Iheanacho is a natural goal-scorer and has continued his rise this season under Pep Guardiola. In 12 games, the Nigerian has managed 4 goals and 3 assists for Manchester City this season. His consistency in front of goal makes him one of Europe’s most prolific goal-scorers.
The fact that he is only 20 makes his story even better. Whether he will get the chances to succeed at Manchester City remains to be seen. But Iheanacho has the potential to become the next Sergio Aguero for Manchester City.