The Indian football season is all set to begin with the commencement of the Durand Cup but teams are still making big moves in the transfer market ahead of the new season. Reigning ISL Shield winners Jamshedpur FC have extended terms with Nigerian striker Daniel Chima Chukwu who was fantastic for them last season after he joined the club midway following a poor stint at East Bengal. However he rejuvenated himself and had a fresh start and was able to build a great partnership with greg Stewart.
Therefore Men of Steel have signed the Nigerian for two more years and he will be looking to replicate his form from last season and this time maintain throughout the entirety of the upcoming season. Chima netted seven goals and 1 assist and was extremely consistent with his scoring as he helped Jamshedpur FC chip away with wins in close encounters. He had a very disappointing stint at East Bengal and left there midway to join Jamshedpur FC. The signing was heavily criticized but Owen Coyle worked his magic and the Men of Steel won seven consecutive matches enroute to the league winners’ shield.
With Coyle and Stewart both gone, things will be different for Chima but he will have a very able coach in Aidy Boothroyd and will also look to develop a partnership with ex Arsenal youth player Jay Emmanual Thomas who was also announced a couple of days ago. So it will be interesting to see how they both combine in attack.
Chima was extremely happy with the club and everyone associated with them ever since last season. So he shared that it was more like homecoming for him and he is very excited to play at the Furnace in front of the fans this season. “I am delighted and honoured to have extended my stay. We were in a bubble last year and it’s incredible to finally play with the vociferous Jamshedpur crowd backing us at the Furnace. It was a great experience joining Jamshedpur mid-season and now it feels just right to be back at our home. The club has fantastic players and staff, incredible infrastructure and top ambitions and now It is all about continuing the winning mindset. I am excited to continue my journey and can’t wait to join other players in pre season,” he shared after putting pen to paper.
Chima was undoubtedly one of the best January window signing in ISL history. He entirely changed the course of Jamshedpur FC especially after being labelled as a flop during his time at East Bengal. He even scored one of the fastest goals in the club’s history and they simply could not let him leave so they have brought him back hoping that he continues to shine for the Men of Steel under the tutelage of coach Boothroyd.
Just like anyone else associated with JFC, head coach Aidy Boothroyd was also very happy to have secured the services of Chima. He shared how he is a top professional and has that ability to change the course of any game with a moment of brilliance. “Chima is a quality forward and a thorough professional. He joined the club, fit right in and turned around his season with exceptional displays in attack. We are delighted to have him stay and I am sure the fans are excited to finally watch him in action at the Furnace,” Boothroyd shared his opinion on the Nigerian.
With Chima, Jamshedpur FC have completed their foreign quota as they have retained important players like Peter Hartley and Eli Sabia in defence and Daniel Chima Chukwu is attack. With this trio players like Jay Emmanual Thomas is the one to keep an eye on alongwith returning player Wellington Priori who will look to man the midfield. Lastly Australian forward Harry Sawyer has also joined the club as an alternative option in attack. So it really looks like a very balanced team with the foreigners covering a lot of crucial areas.
