Kelechi Iheanacho voted English Premier League’s Player of the Month for March

SUPER Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been voted the English Premier League Player of the Month for March in recognition of his recent scintillating form that saw him find the back of the net five times during the month.

Iheanacho, 24, now becomes the fourth Nigerian player ever to win the award alongside Austin JJ Okocha, Osaze Odemingwe and Odion Ighalo. During the course of March, Kelechi scored five goals in three league appearances for his clubsisde Leicester City, in the lead-up to the international break, including his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United.

So far this season, Kelechi has scored 11 goals and provided four assists in his last 15 starts for the Foxes. His strike partnership with targetman Jamie Vardy came to the fore in the absence of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes and has attracted rave reviews from commentators and his manager Brendan Rogers.

Kelechi won the award ahead of other nominees including Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, Tottenham striker Harry Kane, West Ham’s Jesse Lingard, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier, Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and Brighton’s Leandro Trossard. He will be determined to keep this sublime scoring run going against his old club Manchester City when the two teams face each other in the league tomorrow.

Si far, Odemwingie remains the most successful Nigerian to win the Premier League Player of the Month award, clinching it three times. He first picked the award in September 2010, then claimed it again in April 2011 and then won it for a third time in February 2012 and Iheanacho will be hoping to match this feat.