Kelechi Iheanacho admitted he still does not know whether he will remain at Celtic next season after helping the club complete the domestic double at Hampden.
The striker came off the bench during the second half of Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final win over Dunfermline and changed the feel of the game almost immediately. His physical presence gave Martin O’Neill’s side more control higher up the pitch just as Neil Lennon’s team were beginning to build momentum after the restart.
Iheanacho thought he had scored within minutes of coming on when Hyun-jun Yang squared brilliantly across goal, only for VAR to confirm the winger had drifted offside earlier in the move.
The Nigerian eventually got his goal anyway.
After wriggling away from two Dunfermline challenges inside the box, Iheanacho finished calmly beyond Aston Oxborough to make it 3-0 and effectively settle the final. It continued a strange season for the forward, who has spent long spells out injured but still delivered important moments when available.
Celtic hold the option to extend Iheanacho’s deal by another year, although there has still been uncertainty around his future throughout the campaign.
The striker discussed that situation after full-time while reflecting on Celtic’s season.
He said: (BBC Sport Scotland), “We are happy now. It’s a double trophy for us. It’s time to celebrate.
“Yeah, it was like training. Some fancy feet. Chop the defender, then composure to finish. It was a great goal.
“I think it’s a crazy season for me. It’s a crazy, crazy season. It’s one that we can remember all our lives. It’s a crazy season, but we got there at the end, so we’re happy.
“I don’t know. I don’t know for now, but we’ll wait and see.”
There is clearly still admiration for Iheanacho inside the support despite the injuries and inconsistency during parts of the season. The reaction from the Celtic end when he came off the bench at Hampden told its own story.
His ability to hold the ball in difficult moments also became useful during the title run-in once Celtic started facing more direct, physical games every week.
Whether he stays may depend on what O’Neill wants from his forward line next season and how aggressive Celtic plan to be in the transfer market during the summer.
