Kelechi Iheanacho believes Pep Guardiola will make him an even better player when he takes over as the new Manchester City boss this summer.
Iheanacho finished his debut season by scoring his 14th goal in a 1-1 draw at Swansea City to virtually assure Champions League football for Guardiola’s first campaign.
The 19-year-old is grateful to current City boss Manuel Pellegrini for giving him his opportunity in the first team. He made a huge impact in his first season — averaging a goal every 92 minutes — and the Nigerian striker is hoping he has caught the eye of Bayern Munich coach Guardiola.
“There is a great manager coming in and you have to be happy about that,” Iheancho told reporters. “We will work with him and he will be choosing the players he wants to work with next season so it’s a case of working hard and seeing what happens.
“Pep is a great manager who has coached some big teams in Europe and won a lot of trophies. I think he will do the same for us as well.
“I hope he can improve my game to help take me to the next level and we can all win many trophies.”
Pellegrini brought Iheanacho into his squad in the summer and said the teenager was the main reason he allowed Edin Dzeko to join Roma and fellow striker Stevan Jovetic leave on loan for Inter Milan.
Kelechi Iheanacho says he can improve as a player under incoming coach Pep Guardiola.
Iheanacho made his first-team debut against Watford in August and scored his first goal two weeks later — a last-minute winner in the 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace. And he is appreciative of the trust shown in him by the Chilean, who will leave the club at the end of June.
“He is a special manager for me and has done great things in my life — he brought me into the first team, introducing me to work with the squad right from preseason last year,” said Iheanacho.
“I am happy for him, for everything he achieved with this team, and happy that he made me a part of it. I won’t forget him, no matter where he goes.
“I am not quite happy that he is going, but this is the football world and anything can happen. I just wish him good luck wherever he goes and will be praying for him and hope to see the future.
“He is popular with the players — he makes people happy when they work with him because he likes to play football.”
City failed to mount a significant title challenge this season and while Iheanacho is delighted to have made his breakthrough, he wants to help the club compete for more silverware next season.
“I have been playing and scoring goals this season, so it has been a huge difference to what happened to me last season,” he added.
“But next season, I hope to be much better, and score more goals to help the team succeed in all the competitions.”
