People thought I was too small, skinny to be a good player – Iheanacho

Nigeria’s outstanding No10 Kelechi
Iheanacho put on a dazzling display of
football here in UAE, scoring six goals
and setting up a further seven en route
to a fourth title for the west Africans. A
playmaker and lethal finisher all rolled
into one, his trademark goal celebrations
had the Nigerian fans here in UAE on
their feet from start to finish.
FIFA.com caught up with the best player
of the 2013 U-17 World Cup in the United
Arab Emirates to talk about how it feels to
be a world champion, his chat with
Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu and why
he had doubts about his size and strength
when he was called into the national team
camp.
How does it feel to be a world champion?
Kelechi Iheanacho: I feel good, I feel good,
I feel good! I thank God because I feel so
good. I don’t know if I can find the words
to say what I’m actually feeling. I can’t
even tell what I’m feeling because I’m
feeling a millions things at the same time.
I am feeling love for my teammates and
my family and my country. I feel all of it.
I’m on a high for winning the World Cup
and the Golden Ball (best player).
It’s all smiles here in the locker-room.
How close to you feel to your teammates
at this moment?
None of this could have been possible
without my teammates. They are the best.
The way we all cooperated together to
win the World Cup is simple amazing. It’s
like nothing else I’ve ever felt. I give them
thanks for making it possible for us to do
what we did.
You were named the tournament’s best
player and you were the second top-
scorer. How does that feel on a personal
level?
It means a lot to me personally because
when I came into the national team camp
I felt uneasy. A lot of the boys thought
maybe I was too small, too skinny to be a
good player. But I realized now with what
I’ve done here that God is preparing
something special for me.
Iheanacho
It’s been an exciting few weeks for you
and your Golden Eaglets here in the
United Arab Emirates. How has your time
been?
I’ve loved the time I’ve spent here in UAE.
It’s a wonderful country and it was
amazing for me and my teammates to
see a different part of the world and to
show our football to the people here. I will
remember it always.
You had tremendous support from
Nigerian fans here for all of your games.
How important was that?
The fans here have supported us so
much. It’s been incredible. They’ve given
us courage and cheered us up when
things weren’t going so well. The fans
here in the stadium and the ones back
home, they own a part of this trophy too.
They helped us to win it.
One of Nigeria’s best-ever players,
Nwankwo Kanu, was here to watch the
final, and you two had a long chat after
the whistle. What did you talk about?
He is the true hero of football in our
country. Back home, he’s like a father,
like a brother. He’s like everything to me.
He always gives us advice. He comes to
train with us, to make sure we’re happy
and moving in the right direction. He
helps us to understand what football is
really about, and what it takes to make it
in the game. Talking with him and being
with him is just a great honour.
Do you have a message for the people
back home?
I just want to send my love back home; to
everyone and to everything Nigerian.