Kelechi Iheanacho sends message to Celtic fans after Motherwell heroics, Victor Osimhen responds

Kelechi Iheanacho has reached out to Celtic supporters on social media after his late penalty against Motherwell boosted their Premiership title hopes.

The 29-year-old stepped up to score his fifth league goal of the season for the Hoops and keep them one point behind league leaders Hearts ahead of their clash on Saturday.

His penalty came about in controversial circumstances as Motherwell substitute Sam Nicholson was penalised for handball.

Iheanacho is nearing the end of his short-term contract at Celtic, and will hope that he has done enough to earn fresh terms ahead of the summer.

He will go down as a club legend if he has a similar impact in Celtic’s next match against the Jambos at Parkhead to help them win the Premiership title.

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Iheanacho has built a strong relationship with Celtic supporters since his arrival last September, despite only being fit enough to feature in 12 league games so far this season.

The Nigerian striker was swamped by adoring fans after scoring in the 99th minute at Fir Park, and he has taken to Instagram to send a message ahead of Saturday’s showdown on home turf.

He posted a picture of himself celebrating the penalty goal alongside the caption: “Most high, God. One more, stay with us.”

Former international teammate Victor Osimhen responded by saying: “E dey body till thy kingdom come,” which loosely translates to “the good times will last forever.”

Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Iheanacho is playing for a new contract at Parkhead as he nears the end of his initial one-year deal.

Iheanacho’s situation is likely to be dealt with by Celtic’s next manager, with O’Neill set to sign off after they face Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final on 23 May.

The 74-year-old is clearly a big fan of the striker, though, and will surely point the Hoops towards agreeing a new contract with him if he is kept on to advise their next boss.

Speaking after the Motherwell clash, he said: “Iheanacho has been terrific for us with the little cameo roles that he’s done.

“He’s had a really frustrating time this season with hamstring problems, but he has come up big for us in these weeks, absolutely big, and he was the one taking the penalty.

“I was delighted that he was the one who was taking it.”

It remains to be seen if Iheanacho has a similar impact on Saturday, but he is expected to start on the bench and make a difference as a substitute once again.