#3 Jerry Lalrinzuala
The north-east seems to be the cradle of Indian football right now. That idea is further reinforced when you take a look at what the 18-year-old Jerry Lalrinzuala has already achieved in his short career so far.
The Mizoram-born footballer was a part of the AIFF’s Elite Academy that was sent to FC Metz (France) in 2016 for an international exposure trip, which was sponsored by Chennaiyin FC. After returning from the training stint, Lalrinzuala was immediately lapped up by the Chennai-based franchise, and their decision has proved to be a good one.
He has already racked up an assist in his debut season despite being a defender with limited appearances. He has also been awarded two Emerging Player of the Match awards - against Kerala Blasters FC and FC Goa.
In fact, Lalrinzuala's rise to the top has been so meteoric that he has featured in six games in the last one month, completing 90 minutes in four of them. Blessed with a calm head and good on-the-ball abilities, Jerry is certainly expected to go a long way in his career.
