Iheanacho’s impressive performance as Nigeria won a fourth title at the 2013 U-17 World Cup in UAE, where he won the Golden Ball after seven assists and six goals – including four strikes in a group stage victory over Mexico – was a catalyst for his move to the Etihad in 2014.

Within a year of signing for the Cityzens, Iheanacho was promoted to the first team and in his debut season at the Etihad he won the League Cup.

“I didn’t believe that it was going to happen,” Iheanacho told LCFC.

After the U-17 World Cup, I was looking at going to other teams in Europe.

“But when they said I was going to Manchester City, I was surprised and saying, ‘How can I go there to that massive team? Am I going to play?’ I said that I wouldn’t go and that they should take me to a smaller team.

“However, my father said to me that it doesn’t matter where I go, I know how to play football and that I will get through there. So, I believed in him, he blessed me and I went to Man City.”

Iheanacho added that French defender Gael Clichy toughened him up at City.

“Gael Clichy, I called him my teacher,” Iheanacho stated.

“He’s the one who taught me how to go and get what you want and how to be tough and fight on the pitch, because he is a fighter. He never gets tired.

“He was always with me and pushing me. If he was against me (in training), he was going to kick me and say that I have to stand and fight back. I will never forget his kind words and teaching. He was my closest friend.

“Obviously, I didn’t get to play much but I was part of a big squad with brilliant players to win that. It was exciting. There were a lot of them (quality players). Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, who always talked to me and gave me advice.”

The 26-year-old scored 21 goals in 64 games for Man City before joining Leicester City in 2017.

The former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow winger, 28, signed for the four-time Nigerian champions on Thursday, April 15, under the Elite Players Program of the League Management Company (LMC), which encourages top Nigerian internationals to play for local clubs.

Explaining the terms of the deal, Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the LMC, told ESPN that the program works in two ways. A club can identify and sign such players, or the LMC itself can sign the player and assign them to a club of their choice.

Dikko said “We spoke to him about coming back home to play, and as someone who is always ready to give back, he did not hesitate. Once the agreement was signed, the choice of which club to play for was up to him. A number of clubs wanted him. We put everything in front of him and he made the decision to go to Kano Pillars. We didn’t speak much about it. Musa is someone who is more concerned about giving back to the club that made him and he is not coming here to do this for money. He is not getting paid for playing for Pillars. That is the kind of person he is”

Ndidi has played 23 games in the English top-flight, scoring two goals and was in action for 1,892 minutes resulting in speculation of a transfer to Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham.

Brendan Rodgers club side managed to win only one of the six matches Ndidi missed when he was injured showing how pivotal he is to the club’s style of play and now British television sports channel Sky Sports has unveiled a list of the most valuable player for every Premier League club in the 2019-2020 season listing Ndidi as Leicester City’s MVP.

Sky Sports explaining Ndidi’s selection wrote: “Leicester lead the way for counterattacks this season, a hallmark of their game in recent years. The bedrock of their midfield and the key man in launching so many fast breaks is Wilfred Ndidi. The Nigerian is a master of the art of the turnover, regularly winning possession and springing attacks. His 4.4 tackles per 90 minutes is the highest in the Premier League this season and significantly higher than the next-best central midfielder, Oriol Romeu on 3.2.  Ndidi’s value was further demonstrated by his recent injury absence – a five-game run that saw the previously high-flying Foxes take only two points from a possible 15.”