“He knows what it takes” – Middlesbrough head coach confident in Iheanacho’s abilities after tough time at Sevilla

Middlesbrough head coach, Michael Carrick, has backed Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Promise Iheanacho, to succeed at the Riverside Stadium, Soccernet.ng reports.

Although a bit-part player, Iheanacho featured for Leicester City in the EFL Championships last season, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 23 games as Enzo Maresca led the Foxes to a place in the English top flight.

His contract at the King Power Stadium expired last summer, and he moved to La Liga, joining Sevilla, but the move hasn’t panned out right for Iheanacho as he’s scored zero goals in 401 minutes of league action.

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Sevilla signed Akor Adams from Montpellier for €5m, and Iheanacho, with interest from several clubs, returned to the EFL Championships to join Middlesbrough on a six-month loan.

Upon the completion of the deal, Middlesbrough head coach, Michael Carrick, was delighted to have signed the former Manchester City striker and backed the 28-year-old to overturn his poor run of form during his time at Riverside.

“I think we’re in a good place as a squad. There has been a lot of change as a squad that leaves us in a good place. That’s the challenge [knitting it all together]. We’ve got good players and I think we have a good base to work from. It’s now up to all of us to make that work,” the former Manchester United captain said in quotes revealed by The Nothern Echo.

“He [Iheanacho] is not a replacement. It’s never one player for one player. It’s a collective responsibility. We’ve got enough throughout the frontline – creating goals, scoring goals.

“We’re delighted to get Kelechi in. His quality is pretty obvious and he knows what it takes to be successful at this level from last year. He played in the Premier League for a number of years. He’s a quality, quality player and we’re really happy to have him,” the Middlesbrough gaffer concluded.

Middlesbrough are currently 7th in the EFL Championships standings and are outside the play-offs spots just by goal difference. With Iheanacho’s experience, The Boro will be hoping to seal a spot in the play-off finals in May.