TheCable

English football legend, Gary Lineker, has described Nigerian striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, as an “emerging youngster with bags of talent”.

The Manchester City youngster broke into the club’s first team this season, scoring eight goals from 12 shots and earning the accolade of the most efficient striker in the premier league based on his shots-to-goals ratio.

He is also the club’s second highest scorer after Sergio Kun Aguero who scored 24 goals.

The 19-year-old striker scored City’s goal against Swansea on Sunday which guaranteed a Champions League play-off ticket, except Manchester United beat Bournemouth 19-0 in Tuesday’s rescheduled match.

Lineker, who anchors BBC’s Match of the Day, expressed his optimism about Iheanacho’s talent on the programme on Sunday night.

“He is an emerging youngster with bags of talent,” Lineker said, and his fellow pundit and ex-England international, Alan Shearer, went on to highlight Iheanacho’s potential.

Shearer, whose 260 goals in 441 matches made him the record goal scorer in premier league history, said Iheanacho “without doubt” has massive potential.

“He is still learning,” Shearer said, referring to the chances the former U-17 star missed in the Swansea game.

“He has great pace. What I like about him is that he gives a good ball with his left foot, and that is his strong point. He’s a guy in the six yard box trying to end things, take chances.

“His understanding of the game will improve. He will improve as he plays more games, gets more game time. He has to work on his right foot. The good thing about him is the goals. Right player, right time, he is in the box, he’s expecting things, he’s alive. He sticks the ball away every well. The potential for him is huge.”