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Bengaluru FC midfielder Shankar Sampingiraj will train with Italian side Unione Sportiva Cremonese for almost a month the club revealed today. According to the club, they want to give the player as much exposure to European football as they can. Bengaluru already have Udanta Singh training with English League two side Oxford United.
Speaking to the club’s in-house media team, Bengaluru FC CEO Parth Jindal said, “Sending Shankar to Italy reiterates our stand in giving our boys the best chance to improve, be it at the club or outside of it. We went to watch Udanta at Oxford and from our conversations with him, he seems to have learned a great deal in a short time. We are certain that Shankar will have a similar experience at Cremonese.”
Bengaluru FC expect a lot from Shankar who played 13 times in twenty games for the club in the league last season. Along with the league appearances, he made 3 appearnaces in the AFC Cup and played one game in the club’s Federation Cup win.
Unione Sportiva Cremonese play in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, which is the third division of Italian Football. The Cremona based club has been the home of players like Giuseppe Favalli and Gianluca Vialli, who went on to play for Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea.
I am keen to make it count: Shankar Sampingiraj
When asked about the opportunity he has been offered the 20-year-old said he would work hard to make it count and would try and improve and return to Bengaluru as an improved player. He said, “I am delighted at the chance handed to me by Bengaluru FC and I am keen to make it count. It's been a measured growth for me at this club and this stint is another big step in that direction.”
“I'm looking forward to it and I'm sure I will return a better player," the youngster added.
When the youngster returns, he will join up with Kerala Blasters to participate in the second edition of the Indian Super League. With the number of player getting opportunities to play in European nations, the future of Indian Football looks to be in safe hands.
