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Life isn't a bed of roses and most times when vicissitudes come knocking on our doors, some of us succumb while others stay afloat and continue to push. Climbing to the top of ones career comes with ups and downs, but it's a matter of how we react to these phenomenon that determines whether we will get to the finish line. This evening, am gonna be talking a little about a young starlet who is trying to save his career from crumbling totally. Let's talk a little about Kelechi Iheanacho.

After the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup which was played at the United Emirates(I stand to be corrected), lots of future talents were spotted and big clubs from Europe came scampering for the signature. One of those starlets was Kelechi Iheanacho, who now strikes for Leicester City in England. That tournament saw him emerge with the award of the Most Valuable Player(MVP), as he inspired the Nigerian side to victory. He netted six goals, finishing as the second highest goal scorer in the tournament, a performance that saw him win the Silver Ball.

He was the pride of the nation and was given a warm welcome alongside the team when he arrived Nigeria after the Tournament. Politicians waited at the airport to exchange handshakes with him just to show how much they appreciated his talent. The media were all over him and he became a famous figure in such little while. You could tell from his smiles that this was the life his dream and it was only a matter of time before he started conquering the world. Many sports analysts were already tipping him to reach the peak of Lionel Messi and co, and what a wonderful thing it will be for an African player to win the Ballon d'Or since 1995 when George Weah of Liberia won it last.

With big clubs already indicating interest to sign the young starlet, it was obvious the sky was only his starting point, however, Manchester City seemed to have been the most determined to get Iheanacho and they succeeded. Manuel Pellegrini was excited to have him at the Etihad and was willing to offer the young lad some chance to prove his mettle. Of course he wasn't gonna head straight into the first team, he had to work himself into the the squad. I can remember seeing him at the Ballon d'Or award night when Christiano Ronaldo won his third Ballon d'Or. You could see the hopes in his eyes and the passion in his smile. "One day, I would be the one to win this," he may have thought.

It Started Dwindling

Though arriving at Manchester City was a dream move for the Young Nigerian, but it also came with a demanding task to make it to the first team or have regular time play. With lots of big stars already well cemented in the team, Iheanacho saw himself unable to meet up with City's demands. Though he gave some signs of a future prolific goal poacher at the Etihad, his subsequent performances was has seen him relegated to the base of the team, and rarely was he given more chances.

The arrival of Pep Guardiola was the last straw that broke the Camel's back. The former Barcelona and Bayern boss came with the list of players he wanted around in mind, and Kelechi Iheanacho was definitely not gonna fit into his game plan. As days turned weeks and weeks became months, it was better for him to seek greener pastures somewhere else, as his services where not needed at the Etihad anymore. Leicester was his next port of call and since then, the young striker has been struggling to make impact in the Premier League and perhaps win back the lost attention he used to enjoyed.

The evidence of how low he has fallen can also be seen in the lack of interest by the Nigerian Super Eagles coach to call him for the just concluded AFCON tournament that was hosted in Egypt. Who could have believed that the Leicester City forward would be ignored by the national team management in such a short while, well, that's how bad Iheanacho has fallen. Rohr doesn't seem moved by former glory of players as he only picks his squad base on the player's recent performance.

The Greenlights Are Beginning To Sparkle Again?

With the season already in view, teams are experimenting their new signings and game plans as they warm up with friendly matches or preseason encounters. For players like Iheanacho, it's an opportunity to reassure their managers that they've got what it takes to turn the tables if given more opportunities to play. On Saturday, the Nigerian international stole the show as his double was what ensured that Leicester finished in a 2-2 draw with Rotherham United at the New York Stadium.

After almost a year drought was ended on Tuesday against Cambridge United by the young star, Kelechi Iheanacho continued to reignite his passion and score two goals on Saturday. It's an awesome sign and he needs to go into the season with this morale. He knows he has to get the coach to trust him and he must work hard to get that attention. It took the Nigeria international just 11 minutes to put Leicester on the lead, he will later score another at the 71th minute to make it 2-1. However, a late equaliser denied Iheanacho the ovation he would have gotten for singlehandedly firing his team yo victory.

In general, there are signs of improvements so far and he could navigate home back into the headlines if he continues like this in the coming season. Do you see him making waves this season?