Kelechi Iheanacho's Bold Move to Bursaspor

Kelechi Iheanacho walked away from a new Celtic deal with his mind already made up. His destination was never in doubt.

The 29-year-old Nigeria striker has revealed he instructed his representatives to push through a move to Bursaspor, even as the Scottish champions tried to keep him in Glasgow.

"I asked my agent to make sure he does everything possible to make sure I come to Bursaspor," Iheanacho said, laying bare just how determined he was to make the switch.

Iheanacho had only arrived at Celtic in September on a one-year contract after leaving Sevilla, following a loan spell with Middlesbrough. The agreement included a deadline for the club to trigger a one-year extension, a safety net for both player and manager Martin O'Neill.

That deadline came and went. O'Neill later made it clear he wanted the forward to stay and that a fresh contract offer had been put on the table. Celtic were ready to keep him.

Iheanacho was already looking elsewhere.

Last week he signed for Bursaspor, newly crowned champions of the TFF Second League and a club charging hard for back-to-back promotions and a return to the Turkish Super Lig. It is an ambitious project, and he clearly wanted in.

In his first interview with the Turkish side, Iheanacho spoke with the enthusiasm of a player who believes he has found the right stage.

He called Bursaspor “a big club in Turkey” and underlined that he knew of their past glory, having “heard that they had previously won the Turkish Super Lig.”

For a forward in his prime, swapping the security of a new Celtic contract for the volatility of a promotion chase in Turkey is a bold move. Iheanacho has nailed his colours to Bursaspor’s green and white. Now he has to justify the leap.