As Celtic and Martin O’Neill dive into the chaos of the post-split fixtures with the title race intensifying, selection calls are under the spotlight.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s brace in the Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren has only fuelled growing calls for him to now start matches.
The Celtic Park faithful and pundits alike have pointed to Iheanacho’s impact, particularly late in the season, as a potential difference-maker.
Here at 67 Hail Hail, we’ve taken a closer look at Iheanacho’s career record across April and May — the run-in period where campaigns are often decided — to see whether the numbers back up the current debate, and whether he can guide Celtic to an unexpected domestic double.
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How does Kelechi Iheanacho fare during the latter stages of the season?
Looking at Iheanacho’s numbers, there is clear evidence that he can come alive during the run-in for Celtic and O’Neill.
The Nigerian star’s standout campaign came in 2020/21, when he delivered seven goals and two assists across April and May, playing a key role in Leicester’s FA Cup triumph.
Even in other seasons, the former Manchester City player has chipped in with important contributions, including goals in 2017/18 and 2022/23, but his recent loan spell doesn’t make for great reading.
Iheanacho was on Sevilla’s books last season, but he struggled to showcase his worth for a team that has been battling relegation for several seasons now.
That road led him to Championship side Middlesbrough, but Iheanacho couldn’t make his mark, and he struggled before his Sevilla contract was ripped up, and he joined the champions of Scotland on a free last summer.
| Season | Club | Apps | Starts | Goals | Assists | Key notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | Man City | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | Strong PL impact, UCL semi-final involvement |
| 2016/17 | Man City | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Limited role under Guardiola |
| 2017/18 | Leicester | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Positive goal involvement rate |
| 2018/19 | Leicester | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fringe role |
| 2019/20 | Leicester | 6* | 4 | 1 | 1 | Based on final games due to COVID disruption |
| 2020/21 | Leicester | 11 | 8 | 7 | 2 | Peak form, key role in FA Cup win |
| 2021/22 | Leicester | 11 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Regular involvement across competitions |
| 2022/23 | Leicester | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | Strong end to campaign |
| 2023/24 | Leicester | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Minimal involvement |
| 2024/25 | Middlesbrough (loan) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Struggled during loan spell |
While not every year has been prolific, positive trends are showing a player capable of stepping up when it matters most — exactly the kind of profile Celtic may need.
The only issue is that, last season, Iheanacho had fitness issues, and the season before that, he only played two games during the run-in when in Leicester colours in the Championship.
As many Celtic fans have seen, this isn’t a quality issue, but an issue of Iheanacho being available, and you sense, this isn’t about how many goals he scores.
But how many minutes does he play? The more he plays, it seems as though the higher the chances of the Hoops winning the title.
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