Why Kelechi Iheanacho Was Manchester City's Most Surprising Player in 2015/16

When Kelechi Iheanacho scored his first goal for Manchester City—a last-gasp winner against Crystal Palace back in September—it felt like a hugely significant moment, both for the player and the club.

Hailed as a forward with real potential, the excitement ahead of his debut against Watford in the previous game was palpable. Those who had seen him, either in City’s academy or during two of his preseason tours with the senior side, felt sure this was a young man with everything needed to excel in the first team, and the goal that continued City’s 100 per cent start to the new campaign only stoked the feeling.

The calmness with which he finished wasn’t replicated in his wild celebration, a moment now part of City folklore. This, it felt, was the start of something special.

He went on to earn the man of the match award in the League Cup win over Palace in October, scoring one and assisting two. He scored a beauty against Tottenham at the Etihad and two away at Southampton as his team faltered badly. His performance at Aston Villa, where he scored his first senior hat-trick, was an honour to witness.

His statistics for the season tell only a part of the story. He scored 14 goals from just 1,198 minutes of football in all competitions—a goal every 86 minutes.

And he finished with the best goals-to-minutes ratio in the Premier League, ahead of Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.

"

TOP 15/16 #BPL MINS/GOAL (min 5 goals):
Iheanacho - 93.88
Aguero - 98.88
Sturridge - 122.38
Vardy - 130.79 pic.twitter.com/NfWrA8s23J

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 18, 2016"

Manuel Pellegrini deserves credit for bringing him into the City first team—but a feeling remains the 19-year-old was underused. Wilfried Bony misfired for much of the season, scoring just four league goals, yet it wasn’t until the final few weeks of the campaign that Iheanacho usurped him in the pecking order.

But even those statistics only tell half of the story. He’s a player with so much variety to his game. He can play as a central striker—his instincts in front of goal ensure that—but he can also play a withdrawn role, with a focus on creativity.

He has a natural first touch and great vision, and he's wonderfully unselfish, always looking to play quick one-twos with those around him. He will improvise or try something different if it means creating a yard of space he can exploit. He’s an exhilarating watch when he's at his best.

Perhaps his greatest asset, though, is his confidence. Nothing fazes him. He has consistently looked like a player who not only believes he belongs at the top level, but knows he is set for greatness. Fear, a major stumbling block for many players at the top, isn’t a concept he seems familiar with.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

"I will do great things in this team," he told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview back in December. When asked about his goal against Palace, rather than falling into cliches about how it was the greatest moment of his life, he said it was just the beginning. "It’s a great moment, but it’s not the best moment, because the best moments are yet to come."

Even those who saw him play prior to his first-team debut couldn't have expected the impact he had last season, both in terms of goals and the effect he had on those around him. A few quiet games as the campaign came to a close provided a reminder that he is just a teenager with plenty of developing left to do. But on the whole, it was a remarkable season for Iheanacho.

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

And he now has an opportunity to develop further and faster, with Pep Guardiola's arrival set to rejuvenate the club. Guardiola is a man known for his commitment to developing youngsters. Iheanacho is a player he will relish working with.

He isn't a finished product—but this season has shown just how good Iheanacho can be.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.