Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 8y

Manchester City teammates' chants make Kelechi Iheanacho 'so happy'

Kelechi Iheanacho's Manchester City teammates chanted his name in the away dressing room after the striker's brilliant treble lit up a confident FA Cup fourth-round 4-0 win over Aston Villa.

After the post-match TV interviews, the 19-year-old was greeted by the City players singing the "Iheanacho, Iheanacho" chant that had been sung throughout the victory by the 5,800 travelling fans -- making the forward feel as comfortable as ever in the Etihad setup.

"I couldn't believe that," smiled Iheanacho. "It was a great feeling for me, so I'm happy, being among them and playing with them.

"I'm very happy having them as my teammates, they help me in training and in games. They help me to keep going so I'm happy."

Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini trusted Iheanacho with a lone striker role in a 4-3-3 system, resting a number of key first team players like Sergio Aguero. And the Nigerian starlet didn't let the manager down with a superb hat trick that showcased his natural goal-scoring instincts.

Iheanacho's first goal was a predatory close-range strike, the second a deliciously cool penalty and he completed his treble with a confident finish as he raced through on goal.

"It was a good feeling. I'm happy to get my first hat trick," he said. "I need to build my confidence to play in the team.

"That's what I'm working on now, to build confidence. There's nothing to fear, it's professional football, so I need to build my confidence to play."

Iheanacho's promise first came to light at the Under-17 World Cup two years ago when he won the Golden Boot as Nigeria triumphed at the tournament.

After a frustrating wait for a work permit to allow him to play in the Premier League, the striker is now firmly part of the first-team squad having made 18 appearances in total.

But Iheanacho remains grounded and insists he has to keep working as his best is still to come.

"It's a great day in my life but it's not the greatest day in my life because I have to keep working every day," he said. "This is the starting point of my career."

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