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For a long time in Indian club football the majority of foreigners were Africans. But the scenario has changed in recent years with players from other parts of the globe including Europe coming to play in the I-League.
There have been quite a few imports from the United Kingdom with former England U-20 World Cup captain Josh Walker being the latest addition as he has been signed by Bengaluru FC as their marquee foreigner for the 2014-15 season.
Sportskeeda lists the other British players who have featured in I-League history.
Alan Gow
The Scotsman was the first British player to play in the I-League after signing for East Bengal in the summer of 2011. Gow came to India with a huge reputation, having played for several clubs in the Scottish Premier League. He was recommended to the Kolkata club by their English head coach Trevor Morgan but it didn’t turn out to be a successful stint for Gow as he left for Exeter City in January 2012. The reasons for his departure were not necessarily down to performances but mainly because of his style of play. Indian club officials expect a return of goals from expensive attackers but Gow used to play behind the main forward and usually was the provider. Strangely the former Rangers man even had disciplinary problems in India as he was often booked for simulation although most of them were genuine fouls. The left-footed playmaker exhibited his class on a few occasions but it wasn’t enough to convince the club management of East Bengal much to the frustration of Morgan.
Rohan Ricketts
Named after great West Indian cricketer Rohan Kanhai, Ricketts joined Dempo in the summer of 2012 and became the first English Premier League player to feature in the I-League. A product of the Arsenal youth system, Ricketts won the FA Youth Cup with the Gunners but played in the EPL for Tottenham Hotspur. He however wasn’t the first Arsenal player to play in India as Irishman John Devine had a stint with East Bengal in 1987-88. However the former England youth international’s stay in India was cut short as he fell out with Dempo coach Armando Colaco under controversial circumstances. The attacking midfielder did make ten appearances in the I-League but was often played out of position or only used as substitute. But even during his short stay Ricketts managed to impress Indian football fans with match-winning displays against Salgaocar and Mohun Bagan and was also a great influence on the club’s younger players. He left Dempo after just four months following a Twitter outburst when he publicly criticised Colaco.
John Wilkinson
Born in Exeter, England, Wilkinson started his career with Exeter City before moving to Singapore in 2002. By 2007 he played for three of the top clubs in Singapore and later that year got Singapore citizenship to become a Singapore international. The central midfielder eventually became a legend in the S-League and for the Singapore national team. In the winter transfer window of the 2012-13 I-League he joined Goan outfit Salgaocar. When Wilkinson joined Salgaocar they were languishing in the relegation zone of the I-League. But Wilkinson’s experience and powerful displays from the middle of the park helped Salgaocar move up the table and eventually they finished in the top half. Wilkinson made eight appearances in total but more importantly unlike his other British predecessors, the former Singapore international left India without any controversy. Younger players of the club looked up to him and his short successful stint has seen quite a few other S-League stars get linked to the I-League in the last 18 months.
Calum Angus
Born in Greenwich, England, Angus is a product of the Portsmouth youth system but moved to USA at the age of 19. After stints in the lower tiers of American soccer, Angus joined Swedish top tier club GAIS and spent four seasons there. In August 2013 the central defender joined Pune FC and had a highly consistent first season in India. Pune made a brilliant start to the 2013-14 I-League campaign with Angus being their best performer as he was adjudged man of the match in his first five matches. Angus didn’t only bring defensive solidity to a young side but showed his class from set-pieces too. He scored the winners from direct freekicks in the 1-0 victories over Churchill Brothers and Rangdajied United. Angus formed a solid central defensive partnership with Anas Edathodika and overall made 21 appearances in the I-League. Angus was also one of Pune’s better performers in their debut AFC Cup campaign. He has been linked with a move to Dempo this summer.
John Johnson
The Middlesbrough-born central defender made just one senior appearance for his hometown club in the Premier League but spent most of his senior career at Northampton Town. He was the teammate of Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood while at Northampton and thus Johnson was signed on Westwood’s recommendation at the newly-formed I-League club. Johnson became the second former EPL player to join the I-League and made an instant impact for the I-League debutants. His partnership with another former England-based defender Curtis Osano from Kenya was instrumental in Bengaluru winning the title on their first-ever I-League campaign. Johnson not only made a mark with his aerial presence and tackling at the back but also contributed with three important goals including the winner against United Sports Club. Johnson missed just one game in Bengaluru’s I-League campaign due to suspension and his consistency was also rewarded with an individual honour as he was adjudged the best defender of the 2013-14 I-League. Johnson has signed a new two-year contract extension with Bengaluru.
Darryl Duffy
A product of the Glasgow Rangers youth system, Scotsman Duffy spent most of his career playing in the third tier of England for clubs like Hull City, Swansea City and Bristol Rovers. In the summer of 2013, the striker became the second Scottish player to join an I-League club after Gow as he signed a contract with Salgaocar. Duffy more than lived up to the high expectations as he scored in each of his first five games to make Salgaocar the early pacesetters of the 2013-14 I-League title race. Duffy’s form dipped midway through the season when he was having to play without a strike partner but he returned among the goals following the addition of Nigerian forward Dudu Omagbemi in the winter transfer window. He formed a great understanding with Dudu and ended the season with six goals in eight games to finish as the I-League’s joint top scorer along with Sunil Chhetri with 14 goals each. He also won the FPAI foreign player of the year accolade.
