Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has expressed his ambition to become a Bursaspor legend after making a remarkable start to life in Turkish football, with the Nigerian forward determined to help the club secure promotion to the Süper Lig.
The 30-year-old has enjoyed an extraordinary beginning to his career at Bursaspor, scoring 16 goals in his first 12 league appearances to establish himself as one of the most influential players in the Turkish First League.
His remarkable consistency has also seen him become the first player in Turkish league history to score in 12 consecutive league appearances, further strengthening his growing reputation among supporters of the club.
Iheanacho, who joined Bursaspor as a free agent during the summer after leaving Scottish champions Celtic, admitted that he had not anticipated such an impressive start to his Turkish adventure.
Speaking about his performances and the competitiveness of the division, the Nigerian forward acknowledged the quality of the opposition while expressing his determination to maintain his form throughout the campaign.
“The First League is a really good and tough league. Incredible players are playing there. I didn’t expect to start this well. I want to show more of these performances as the season progresses,” Iheanacho said.
Despite his impressive individual statistics, the former Manchester City and Leicester City striker insisted that winning the league title and securing promotion to Turkey’s top division remained his biggest priorities.
“At the end of the day, we aim to become champions and get promoted to the Süper Lig. We want to do this, and we are playing for it,” he added.
Beyond the immediate objective of promotion, Iheanacho also revealed his desire to establish a lasting legacy at the Turkish club, describing the possibility of becoming a Bursaspor legend as a special achievement for himself and his family.
“Becoming a legend of a great club like Bursaspor would be a great honour for me and my family. I hope something like that happens,” the Nigerian international said.
Iheanacho has already written his name into Turkish football history through his extraordinary goalscoring consistency.
On October 15, he scored against Muğlaspor to extend his consecutive league scoring record to 10 matches, surpassing the previous record jointly held by Galatasaray legends Metin Oktay and Saffet Sancaklı.
The Nigerian subsequently extended his remarkable streak in Bursaspor’s 4-2 victory over Keçiörengücü, a result that moved the club to the top of the TFF First League standings with 28 points from 12 matches.
His contribution has been particularly important to Bursaspor’s promotion ambitions, with the former Celtic forward providing the attacking quality needed to keep the club firmly in contention for a return to the Turkish top flight.
Bursaspor are scheduled to welcome Bandırmaspor to the Centennial Atatürk Stadium on Saturday, October 31, with Iheanacho hoping to continue his extraordinary scoring form.
The upcoming encounter provides another opportunity for the Nigerian striker to extend his record and strengthen his position as one of the standout performers in the division.
Having already exceeded his initial expectations in Turkey, Iheanacho will now be focused on maintaining his consistency, helping Bursaspor secure promotion and turning his ambition of becoming a club legend into reality.
