Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho's chances of staying at Celtic have gotten a boost. This is after the club gave Martin O’Neill a permanent contract. The manager has shown strong belief in Iheanacho and is now in charge of planning for next season.
Iheanacho joined Celtic in September 2025 on a one-year deal after leaving Sevilla as a free agent. His contract will end on June 30.
Celtic can extend his deal for another 12 months. A decision on this is expected soon as the club works on its squad for next season's title defence and European matches.
O’Neill's appointment is good news for Iheanacho. The experienced coach led Celtic to win both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup. He relied heavily on Iheanacho during important matches towards the end of the season.
Iheanacho scored key goals during the season. This includes a late penalty against Motherwell, the winning goal away to Hibernian, and a goal in the Scottish Cup final. His ability to change games from the bench made him popular with fans, even with fewer starts.
The numbers show his impact well. Iheanacho scored nine goals and provided one assist in just 489 minutes of Premiership football. This is one of the best goals-per-minute ratios in the league.
He scored twice as a substitute in a big 6-2 win over St Mirren in April. He also scored the winner against Hibernian in May and ended the league season with a goal against Dunfermline. This shows he knows how to be in the right place at the right time.
Now 29, Iheanacho has started special fitness training ahead of pre-season. He aims to secure a more regular starting role if he stays at Parkhead.
With O’Neill in charge and the board making important squad choices, Iheanacho's chances of remaining in Glasgow seem better than ever since he arrived.
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