Middlesbrough fans may be baffled by Kelechi Iheanacho's Celtic situation | OneFootball

Kelechi Iheanacho is showing signs of getting back to his best at Celtic so far this season

Last season wasn't a great one for Middlesbrough, especially in the second half of the campaign, which ultimately led to a 10th-placed finish and Michael Carrick's eventual sacking.

Boro were fifth with the second-best goal return as the calendar turned to 2025, but 23 goals and 27 points in 22 games in the second half of the season resulted in a rather disappointing end.

Ben Doak's injury and Emmanuel Latte-Lath's departure took a lot out of Middlesbrough's attacks, and those who were brought in during January to try to combat that loss didn't live up to expectations at all.

Morgan Whittaker didn't live up to the hype he generated throughout his time at Plymouth Argyle and is still struggling to find his form in the Boro side under Rob Edwards today.

However, one player who is beginning to shine after a dud four months at the Riverside is Kelechi Iheanacho, who has already outscored his Middlesbrough tally inside his first three games at Celtic.

The former Manchester City youngster and Leicester City Premier League regular didn't hit the ground running at all during his time in Teeside, and many Boro fans will be looking on at his goalscoring antics in Scotland with some puzzled looks.

Kelechi Iheanacho's disappointing loan spell at Middlesbrough

After spending seven seasons at Leicester City, the Foxes decided to part ways with Iheanacho when his contract expired at the end of the 2023/24 term.

Leicester won the Championship that campaign under Enzo Maresca, but the Nigerian international started just 10 league games, and his five goals all came within a six-game purple patch.

He made the move across the Mediterranean last summer to sign for Spanish side Sevilla with the hopes that he could gain the gametime necessary to get back to the form which saw him net 12 in 25 Premier League games back in 2020/21.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be for Iheanacho in La Liga, being left on the bench more often than he played, and failing to score in his nine appearances. Last January, he ended up back in the Championship, this time for Middlesbrough on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Boro had just parted ways with Emmanuel Latte Lath for a whopping £22.5 million, and were in desperate need to replace the frontman, who had scored 11 league goals before he left to join MLS side Atlanta United.

The 28-year-old didn't hit the ground running at all at the Riverside, with his sole goal in 15 Championship games coming in a 2-1 win over Oxford United. Boro were toothless going forward in the second half of last season, and Iheanacho was one of the reasons why.

At the end of his spell, he was sent back to Sevilla, where the two parties agreed to terminate his contract after one season. 24 hours later, he'd signed for Celtic.

Kelechi Iheanacho has excelled so far at Celtic

Whilst people may claim that the Scottish Premiership is an easier league to look good in, there's still pressure to take chances when they come, and Iheanacho is doing just that for Brendan Rodgers' side.

Iheanacho scored twice in his first three games for the club, both of which were from the bench. The most impressive of the lot came in the Europa League, where he was brought on at half-time away at Red Star Belgrade with the scoreline goalless, before he netted 10 minutes later to open the scoring in a game which finished 1-1.

The 28-year-old is clearly someone who thrives on confidence, and when he bags one, the floodgates are likely to open. At Celtic, under a manager who brought about his best days whilst at Leicester, Iheanacho looks like he's found that spark once more.

Boro fans are enjoying life after Iheanacho's spell, but this current run of form that their former loan flop is currently on will be something which they will look at with interest, and perhaps some frustration that he wasn't able to replicate that last season.