Iheanacho admits to being scared before taking winning penalty for Celtic

Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho conceded it was not easy to step up and convert the penalty which handed Celtic a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park to keep the gap at the top of the table to just one point.

With the game heading towards a draw, which could have given Celtic the toughest of tasks against Hearts on Saturday, having to beat Hearts by four clear goals, the Hoops were awarded a penalty for handball following a VAR review.

 

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Iheanacho stepped up to coolly slot the ball home to give Celtic the victory, meaning that a win over Hearts at the weekend will secure Celtic the title again.

‘I don’t have words’

Iheanacho spoke honestly after full-time about the pressure surrounding the penalty and what was going through his head before the kick.

He told Sky Sports: “To be fair, I don’t have words and I don’t know how I did that but we’ve done it. As you can see the fans are still shouting and we’re happy.

“Once we have one more to go, we need to just get back now and focus on that one. I think first of all I just remember that I’ve thought this type of thing before and I just kept cool and brave.

“It’s scary to be fair but I don’t know what I was thinking. Thank God we got the win today so we’re happy.”

Callum McGregor said of the Super Eagle: “Yeah, nothing bigger than that, that’s huge. He’s got a special character to take the penalty under that pressure.

“The team were again working so, so hard and you just think it’s going to go away from you. But with this team, so many times, how many goals have we scored in the last minute and sometimes you need things to drop for you if you want to win titles.

“We know our job. Win the game, we win the league.”

Iheanacho has steadily grown

​The victory significantly boosts the Glasgow giants’ hopes of clinching the Scottish Premiership title, as they remain firmly in contention heading into the decisive final fixtures of the season. It also extends their impressive unbeaten run.

​Since arriving, Iheanacho has steadily grown into one of the club’s most dependable attacking players, particularly in decisive moments.

The 29-year-old has earned praise for his composure in front of goal and his ability to deliver under pressure, with several crucial goals already proving vital in the club’s title push.