Kelechi Iheanacho has crowned a fairytale debut season in Scottish football with a league championship medal, as Celtic came from behind to beat Hearts 3-1 at Celtic Park on Saturday and clinch the Scottish Premiership title on the final day of the season in one of the most dramatic conclusions the competition has witnessed in decades.

The Super Eagles forward, who joined Celtic earlier this season following spells at Manchester City and Leicester City, was introduced from the bench at half-time as Celtic sought to turn the game around after going behind to a Lawrence Shankland header in the 43rd minute. His presence helped shift the momentum in the hosts’ favour, and he came agonisingly close to scoring when his effort struck the post. It was a moment that encapsulated his season influential, impactful and often decisive from the bench.

Celtic had needed a win to leapfrog Hearts and retain the Premiership crown, a task that looked increasingly difficult as Shankland’s goal threatened to hand the Edinburgh club their first league title since 1960. Arne Engels hauled the hosts level from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after a handball award, setting the stage for a tense and frantic second half. With three minutes remaining, Daizen Maeda broke the deadlock to put Celtic ahead, before Callum Osmand sealed the victory deep into stoppage time as a Hearts goalkeeper who had pushed forward in desperation left his goal exposed. Celtic Park erupted, and supporters spilled onto the pitch in jubilation.

The title is Celtic’s 56th in their history and their fifth in succession, cementing the club’s extraordinary modern dominance of Scottish football. For Hearts, who had led the table since September and only needed a draw to end 66 years of waiting, it was a devastating blow. The result also extended the combined stranglehold of Celtic and Rangers over the Scottish game to 41 consecutive years.

For Iheanacho personally, the triumph carries enormous significance. The 29-year-old had previously won the FA Cup and EFL Championship during his time at Leicester City, but a top-flight league title had eluded him throughout his career. His debut season in Glasgow ends with a winner’s medal he can cherish, having made 13 appearances across the campaign and contributed five assists.

That tally also included a crucial 99th-minute penalty winner against Motherwell in midweek, a goal that kept Celtic’s title hopes alive and set up the dramatic final day showdown.

The scenes at Celtic Park as the full-time whistle blew were a fitting tribute to a season that delivered right until the very end and for Iheanacho, a footballer who has waited a long time for a league championship, it could not have been scripted any better.