Kelechi Iheanacho: 2 reasons Super Eagles striker was right to ditch Celtic for Bursaspor

Kelechi Iheanacho has been in unstoppable form since leaving Celtic for Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor this summer, scoring nine goals in seven league matches, Afrik Foot reports.

The Super Eagles striker’s latest goal came in a 2-2 draw with Esenler Erokspor on Sunday night, extending his remarkable scoring run to seven consecutive league matches, a streak that works out to a goal every 67 minutes and a direct goal contribution roughly every 55 minutes across 603 minutes of football.

The numbers are particularly interesting reading given the circumstances of his Celtic departure.

Iheanacho left Parkhead in the summer after Celtic allowed the option to extend his contract to expire without making a formal offer, triggering weeks of uncertainty as the Nigerian continued training alone in Nigeria while waiting for clarity that never came.

Martin O’Neill eventually confirmed that Celtic did make Iheanacho an offer to return, but no agreement was reached, and the 29-year-old ultimately opted to join Bursaspor and begin a new chapter in Turkey.

At the time, questions swirled about whether the striker had made the right call. Those questions have now been answered by his performance on the pitch.

What Iheanacho’s form tells us about the Celtic decision

The statistics from his seven league appearances paint a picture of a striker liberated rather than diminished by his exit from Scottish football.

A goal against Bodrum FK on the opening weekend, followed by strikes against Igdir FK and Karagumruk, then a goal and an assist against Kayserispor, a brace in the 4-0 win over Istanbulspor, another brace against Manisa FK, and his latest goal against Esenler Erokspor is not a hot streak.

It is a consistent, relentless pattern of goalscoring from a player who has found exactly the environment his career needed at exactly the right moment.

Celtic, meanwhile, are searching for goals this season. Their top scorers this season – Benjamin Nygren, Camilo Duran and Kasper Waarts Høgh are all stuck on three goals each.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho was right to ditch Celtic for Bursaspor

The first reason is the guarantee of regular football that Celtic failed to offer, and the specific importance of that guarantee at this stage of his career.

Throughout the entire summer saga at Parkhead, the central concern raised by everyone from Martin O’Neill to John Inglis was fitness.

Iheanacho had missed the last two pre-seasons, arriving late both times and spending the opening months of each campaign playing catch-up with his physical condition.

O’Neill made it explicit that pre-season training was really important for him. Celtic’s indecision denied him that.

Bursaspor gave him a full pre-season from day one, and the results are written across the Turkish 1. Lig table in the most emphatic possible terms.

At 29, with the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign set to kick off for the Super Eagles, Iheanacho cannot afford another season of stop-start involvement. He needs games, rhythm and the confidence that comes from knowing he is the first name on the teamsheet.

At Bursaspor, he has all three. At Celtic, even if a deal had been concluded, the competition for minutes, the injury history and the uncertainty around the new manager’s plans would have made none of those things guaranteed.

The second reason is ambition, which was never going to be satisfied simply by filling a bench role at a club that spent the entire summer treating him as an afterthought.

Juwon Oshaniwa made the strongest argument for staying when he cited Celtic’s Champions League football, and it was a compelling one. But Champions League football from the substitutes’ bench, in a squad being rebuilt around other striking options, is a very different proposition to leading a promotion charge in Turkey with the freedom and trust to express himself every single week.

Iheanacho’s nine goals in seven games is not just a football story. It is a statement from a player who knew his worth, waited patiently for the right deal, and has since made everyone who doubted that decision look foolish.

For Eric Chelle and the Super Eagles, the timing could not be better. AFCON 2027 qualifiers are live, and Nigeria’s most in-form striker is hitting the net every time he plays.