Celtic forward Kelechi Iheanacho. Photo Credit: Celtic /X
Kelechi Iheanacho‘s introduction to the latest EA Sports FC 26 video game ratings has left the Nigerian striker unimpressed, Soccernet.ng reports.
After two difficult years in England and Spain, Iheanacho has made a fresh start in Scotland, impressing in his first few appearances for Celtic.
However, a closer look at Kelechi Iheanacho’s EA Sports FC 26 card reflects much of his struggles over the last few months and not his display in recent weeks.
The 27-year-old, unveiled with a modest overall score of 72, struggled to hide his disappointment when handed his card in a video shared on Celtic’s official YouTube channel.
“I, I, yeah, fair enough, I’ll take that,” Iheanacho said with a wry smile before pointing at the individual attributes.
“Dribbling is 72. Physical? I am better than that. Shooting? Yes. I’m not quite happy. But yeah, I’ll take that.”
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The striker’s breakdown reads: Pace 70, Shooting 73, Passing 68, Dribbling 72, Defence 38, Physical 71.
Those numbers place him outside the top 30 Nigerian male footballers in the game, with compatriots Victor Osimhen (87), Ademola Lookman (84), and Victor Boniface (81) rated far higher.
At Celtic, he sits joint-15th, well behind Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda, Kasper Schmeichel, and Cameron Carter-Vickers: all 79.
To his credit, Iheanacho has started proving that the ratings may undersell him. After joining Celtic on a free transfer after leaving Sevilla, he has quickly forced his way into Brendan Rodgers’ plans.
He registered an assist during Celtic’s 4-0 League Cup quarter-final win at Partick Thistle on Sunday, linking up neatly before being replaced by Daizen Maeda on the hour. It followed his penalty on debut against Kilmarnock, giving him two goal contributions in as many games.
Rodgers, who worked with Iheanacho at Leicester, praised his conditioning since arriving in Glasgow.
“He’s one of the leanest players in the squad,” the Celtic manager said.
The former Liverpool manager remains keen to highlight how quickly the striker has regained sharpness after limited football in Spain.
With a semi-final clash against Rangers looming in November and Europa League fixtures on the horizon, Iheanacho now has the chance to raise both his numbers on the pitch and, perhaps, his digital rating next season.