Ben Alaiya, the Eagles Media
officer, confirmed this in statement, adding that Iheanacho’s departure from
Abuja was on the heels of the request made by his father.
Alaiya said that Keshi had to
sanction the departure of the player after his father, James Iheanacho, made a
personal call to him requesting the release of his son for the trip to England.
“Initially a young man came
declaring that he was the agent of Iheanacho, but I declined to deal with him
until I hear from the family because the boy is still a minor,” Keshi said.
“It was soon after my rejection that
I got a call from his father who told me that they have gotten travelling visa
to the United Kingdom and that I should oblige him with his son’s release. I
did and told the young man to go and do the nation proud at whichever club he
finally chooses to settle down with”.
The Media officer added that Keshi
acknowledged Iheanacho’s talent, but also cautioned that the player should be
handled gently and professionally as he navigates his professional career.
The national team also cancelled its
second Monday training session after it appeared that the close to three hours
morning training session may have taken its toll on the players.
“We have to be cautious not to push
the players too hard so that nobody will break down”, Keshi said.
It would be recalled that Iheanacho
has been named as the Most Valuable Player at the recent FIFA U17 World Cup in
the United Arab Emirates, where the Golden Eaglets showed great performance and
won the title.
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