Bursaspor head coach Mustafa Er has praised Kelechi Iheanacho’s immediate influence after the Nigeria international made a prolific start to his career with the Turkish club.
The 30-year-old striker joined Bursaspor on a free transfer in the summer and has quickly become an important part of their campaign to win promotion.
Iheanacho has scored 12 goals and provided two assists in nine league appearances, establishing himself as one of the team’s leading contributors since arriving at the Green Crocodiles.
Er said Bursaspor had worked hard to complete the signing and expected the forward to make a decisive contribution in front of goal.
“We transferred Iheanacho so that he would score goals. We worked very hard for that transfer. We also need to thank our management,” Er said, according to the club’s official website.
The manager also said Iheanacho had attracted interest from a number of clubs before opting to move to Bursaspor. He believes the stature of the club played an important part in the player’s decision.
“There was a lot of demand for him. The size of the club was also very important in his choosing us. We are getting the contribution we want,” Er added.
Er praises Bursaspor’s improving spirit
Alongside Iheanacho’s goalscoring form, Er pointed to an improvement in the team’s unity and productivity as Bursaspor continue their promotion push.
The coach hopes Iheanacho can extend his scoring run in the club’s next fixture and said the squad’s positive atmosphere was helping players perform more effectively.
“Iheanacho continues to score. I hope he scores this week too. We have a positive team,” Er said.
“There is tremendous progress in team spirit. Productivity is also increasing. People are more productive when they are happy. We win as a team.”