Uche Ikpeazu made his Scottish football debut for Hearts last season. This term, he has a point to prove.
The striker joined the Jambos last summer following a spell with Cambridge United.
Ikpeazu joined Hearts last summer. (Photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
He battled injury in the first half of the campaign, but Ikpeazu made still made 26 appearances for the Jambos, scoring eight goals.
This season though, that goal record has to go up.
Ikpeazu has to prove he can be Hearts’ main man
In the league last year Ikpeazu made just 17 appearances. Despite gaining praise for his ability to cause havoc amongst backlines in the Premiership, he only netted three league goals.
Ikpeazu only netted twice in the league. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
His strength is his biggest asset and Ikpeazu needs to utilise it to help him get goals. Ikpeazu’s got all the right traits, he just needs to figure out to mix them all together.
He has got the ability to bring a ball down, lay it off to a supporting midfielder or winger and spin off into the box to try and provide the finish, if his teammates can get service to him. The striker’s just not managed to do that enough in Gorgie so far.
By the looks of things in the recent League Cup games, he needs to shake off the cobwebs after pre-season too. Against East Fife especially, his first touch was poor and his finishing was poor, missing a couple of half chances in the first 45 minutes.
Ikpeazu has been off the ball recently. (Photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
On song Ikpeazu is a game changer for Hearts, but fans will begin to question him should he not start hitting the back of the net regularly.
It’s up to him this season to prove he can be a goalscorer for the Jambos, not just a physical battering ram.