Kelechi Iheanacho is the name on everyone's lips after he netted the winning goal in Celtic's 2-1 victory over Hibernian. He came off the bench and immediately made an impact, and fans are wondering if he can do the same against Rangers.
He has been unlucky throughout the campaign as he has struggled with fitness, often going missing from the squad. The problem seems to be fixing itself; however, it is clear that he still isn't at his best. Despite that, some supporters reckon that his deal should be extended.
His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but the club have an option to extend it for an additional year. He has popped up at crucial moments throughout the campaign, so is it worth putting pen to paper?
Martin O'Neill isn't sure, but he does know that Iheanacho would need to work on his fitness if he did. The manager said: "If the club were to keep him, then it's really to do with a proper pre-season for him, a real proper pre-season.
"I think he arrived at the last moment here, so he would have to do it, and I think that he would benefit greatly from that, where you're getting three or four weeks' work into him before the season started, which I think he needs.
"What he has done for us has been terrific, really terrific. Particularly now, you're looking at his overall contribution through injuries and stuff, for a whole season, those are the things that I'm sure the football club would weigh up on as much as anything else.
"Although he keeps telling me he's very, very young, time does catch up with players, although he's only 29."
Speaking about the gametime he's been giving Iheanacho, O'Neill said: "He has been a super impact player. I'm sure he was desperate to start the game.
"At this minute, the way that Daizen Maeda has started centre forward for us, and he can shift over to other positions.
"Of course, there is the danger that you don't give him [Iheanacho] enough time to get on the pitch, because you could spend ten minutes, and him not getting into the game, so that's something that we're trying our best, and so far, it's worked out for us."
Should Iheanacho be offered a new contract?
It's a contentious issue whether Iheanacho should be given an extended contract, and we don't really know what the club will do. If he had a full pre-season, he may be able to get fully fit, but we are taking a risk offering him a new deal if we can't be entirely sure.
However, it seems that Celtic will be short of options up front going into next campaign. Work is being done in the transfer market, but as things stand, the only options would be the returning Johnny Kenny, and if offered a new contract, Iheanacho.
Kenny is keen to impress and Iheanacho would likely pounce on the opportunity to start in pre-season. He has been stealing results for Celtic at crucial moments, but he does look very tired despite only playing for 20 minutes at a time. That is concerning, because he has still had nearly a full season with the Hoops and is yet to find his feet.
With that being said, he is so calm on the ball and has a brilliant strike. That is something that will be difficult to replace, and we know that he can offer something strong. Even if he isn't first choice, he would be a great asset to Celtic.
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