Peterborough United’s longest-serving player reckons a telepathic understanding helped him impress

Peterborough United’s Idris Kanu reckons a telepathic understanding with the likes of Flynn Clarke has helped his emergence as a potentially top-class League One player.
Idris Kanu in action against Rochdale. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.comIdris Kanu in action against Rochdale. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com
Idris Kanu in action against Rochdale. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com

Kanu (21) and fellow youngsters Clarke and Harrison Burrows made a dramatic impact on Posh fortunes when they were all thrown into the first-team for the game at home to Rochdale last weekend. Kanu played as the right wing-back and immediately won a fourth-minute penalty in a game Posh eventually won 4-1.

Kanu was called up almost a year to the day after suffering a career-threatening eye injury in training.

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“I was happy that Flynn was playing with me,” Kanu said. “We know each other’s game so well. When he gets the ball on his right foot I know exactly where he is going to put it and that certainly helped us both.

“We have played together a lot in under 23 games and we both benefitted from taking those games seriously.

“Those matches are important because you need to be ready when you get a call-up to the first team.

“I tried to be as relentless in those matches as I would be in a first-team game.

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“I love playing centrally as a striker or a number 10, but I also enjoy the wing-back roles as I have the attributes that suit playing out wide.

“Lots of teams play with wing-backs these days so it’s a useful position to know. Last season I felt I did well as a number 10 and a wing-back in a game at Portsmouth, but then I fractured my eye-socket.

“That was a worrying time for me, but my family and partner helped me through it and I was so pleased when I came back that I didn’t suffer any after effects.”

Kanu played well again at MK Dons last night (December 15) before going off with cramp.

Remarkably Kanu is the longest-serving current Posh player having joined from Aldershot as a 17 year-old in August, 2017.

He’s started just four Football League games for the club.