Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers, has hailed Kelechi Iheanacho’s influence after the Nigerian striker came off the bench to score in their 1-1 draw against Red Star Belgrade.
Iheanacho replaced Daizen Maeda at the interval, with the Japanese forward struggling to make an impact in the first half.
Celtic had failed to register a clear chance from open play before the break, but the substitution quickly changed the game.
The visitors came out stronger in the second half, forcing three saves before Iheanacho showed great composure in the 55th minute, controlling the ball inside the box and firing into the top corner.
Red Star, however, hit back 10 minutes later when Marko Arnautovic found the equaliser.
“I thought Kels coming in was very, very good for us,” Rodgers told BT Sport. “We needed someone centrally to hold the ball up. I felt that we arrived into the final third in the first half and then we were either loose with the ball or didn’t hold the ball up.
“It’s one of Kels’ great strengths. He can take the ball in, he can use his body well and obviously allows you to progress up the pitch. So he gave us a really much better platform in the second half.”
Iheanacho’s strike continues a fine run of form for the former Leicester City man, who has now contributed to goals in each of Celtic’s last three games.
He delivered an assist in the 4-0 Scottish League Cup quarter-final win over Partick Thistle at the weekend and also scored a late penalty in the 2-1 league victory against Kilmarnock.
His resurgence could be a timely boost for Nigeria’s Super Eagles as they prepare for their final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures against Lesotho and Benin Republic.
Iheanacho was left out of the squad that faced Rwanda and South Africa earlier this month, but his recent displays may give the national team selectors plenty to think about.
