'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mumbai City FC have announced that Huidrom Naocha Singh will spend the 2023/24 season on loan at Kerala Blasters. This will allow the 23-year-old fullback to get more game time under his belt, which will eventually help him grow and mature as a player.
Kerala Blasters, having already acquired the services of fullback Prabir Das from Bengaluru FC, welcome this development.
The Imphal-born defender made his debut for NEROCA in the I-League in the 2018-19 season before spending the next two years with Gokulam Kerala. He made a total of 41 appearances for the Kozhikode-based club before being scouted and signed by Mumbai City FC. Unfortunately, he has not yet made an appearance for them.
Naocha spent last season on loan at RoundGlass Punjab
Naocha has not yet stepped into the Mumbai Football Arena wearing his parent club's stripes in a competitive fixture. He was sent on loan to East Bengal in the 2021/22 winter transfer window where he made just five appearances. RoundGlass Punjab took him on for the 2022/23 season and that is where he managed to get a lot of game time.
(Read: Gokulam Kerala to participate in AFC Women's Club Championship 2023)
Naocha made 17 appearances in total in RoundGlass Punjab's title-winning season, 15 of which came in the I-League. The other two appearances came in the Super Cup. He also managed to find the back of the net on one occasion when plying his trade for RoundGlass Punjab (who have been rebranded as Punjab FC this season).
There were quite a few rumors doing the rounds about Punjab asking for him this season as well. This is due to the fact that they have now been promoted to the Indian Super League, the premier division of domestic football in India, but it appears as if Kerala Blasters beat them to the race.
It would not have served any purpose by keeping him on the bench, so Mumbai City did the right thing by loaning him to the Blasters.
Manager Ivan Vukomanovic will welcome Naocha to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, where he is expected to play alongside the likes of Rahul KP, Muhammad Saheef, Sandeep Singh and Das.
He was used as a centre-back as well as a defensive midfielder by Punjab in the previous I-League season, so it allows Vukamanovic to test his versatility to good effect. All in all, it appears as if Naocha might finally get a chance to fulfill his full potential in the ISL this season.
