Former Leicester City star opens up on Kelechi Iheanacho’s playing style amid criticism that he’s a Lazy forward compared to Vardy, Daka.
Ex-Leicester City winger Matt Piper has insisted that Foxes’ striker Kelechi Iheanacho is not lazy at all and just has a relaxed style of play.
The Nigeria international joined the Foxes back in 2017 from Manchester City and he has been in and out of the team over the years.
Iheanacho has started nine league games this season under Enzo Maresca and he has contributed to six goals directly.
Piper admitted that Iheanacho’s body language on the pitch looks very laid-back and he insisted that the Nigerian has a very endearing, almost puppy-like character.
The former Foxes man believes that even though Iheanacho’s body language is relaxed, he always puts his 100 per cent effort in, but he is currently not playing at his top level.
“I would never say that he is not putting all in”, Piper said on the When You’re Smiling Podcast about the Foxes’ forward.
“I think he does; I think it is just his style.
“We have joked in the past that he watches the planes fly over the King Power.
“But he does have that puppy kind of a dog character to him and it is very endearing.
“Even when he is playing his best, he looks laid back.
“Some of the great goals we have seen him score over the years, I have sort of called his goals going in as he is having a kickabout down Vicky Park with his mates.
“That is just Kelechi’s style.
“But when he is not quite at it and he is not playing at top level, you can think that he is being lazy but it is not that at all.
“I just don’t think he is quite there at the minute, he’s not at top level.”
Now it remains to be seen if Iheanacho will be able to become Enzo Maresca’s first-choice striker ahead of the experienced Jamie Vardy.