Indian Super League champions Hyderabad FC are finally making moves in the market as they have roped in former Mohammedan Sporting fullback Manoj Mohammed. The East Bengal academy prospect becomes the first prospect from Jalpaiguri to feature in the ISL.
Manoj was one of the star performers for the Black Panthers last season as they lost the I-League title to Gokulam Kerala in the finals. But his performances caught the eye and therefore he is joining the Nizams for the upcoming season. While the youngster may not be the first choice for Manolo Marquez right now but he will surely be in the mix as they look to defend their trophy and also do better in the league phase.
“I am really happy to sign for this club at this stage of my career,” said Manoj, after penning his contract. “I can’t wait to get on the pitch and I promise to give my best in every training session and in every game,” he added.
The 23-year-old left back came up through the ranks of East Bengal Academy and it was in 2018-19 season former head coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia brought him to the first team and he featured in 16 matches for the Red and Golds that season. He then moved out to Mohammedan SC and has been pretty consistent in terms of performance for the Black Panthers. This will be his debut season in the Indian Super League as he will hope to make a mark.
AFter winning the title last season, Hyderabad FC managed to hold onto their talisman Bartholomew Ogbeche who won the Golden Boot last time. The club has also extended contracts with Akash Mishra, final hero Sahil Tavora and Australian versatile forward Joel Chianese. Theyb have also added the very talented right back Soyal Joshy from Kerala who had an excellent Santosh Trophy campaign helping his state win the title.
In terms of departures the biggest blow was when Asish Rai left for ATK Mohun Bagan where as Souvik Chakrabarti is also looking for options elsewhere and according to rumours he is close to joining East Bengal. It will be interesting to see how Marquez manages to keep hold of his players and how the Nizams perform in the upcoming season.
