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Former Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur player Rohan Ricketts left India on Friday after mutually parting ways with Dempo.
Ricketts, who will be returning to England, had fallen out with Dempo coach Armando Colaco and was suspended by the club for his outburst on Twitter, and following a meeting with club chairman Shrinivas Dempo, the 30-year-old was released.
The former English youth international’s stay in India lasted for less than five months and he made just ten appearances in the I-League, with only seven of them being starts. His only goal came in the 3-1 win over Salgaocar.
While on his way to the airport, Ricketts told Sportskeeda on Friday, “The chairman is a top man and we settled everything mutually. I definitely want to come back and play in the I-League in the future but certainly not this season.”
The first evidence of the fallout between Ricketts and Colaco was when the former wrote on his Twitter profile @RohanRicketts that he had been asked ‘to bring his level down to adapt in India’.
Following that incident, Ricketts repeatedly found himself on the bench, but injuries and suspensions to some first team regulars saw him start a few games.
However, despite impressing on the pitch, matters between him and Colaco only got worse, with the former EPL player revealing on Twitter about his unhappiness at Dempo due to certain individuals, with Colaco in particular being criticised. Ricketts added that he was also feeling unsafe in India.
Offei Released
Dempo have also released Ghanaian international defender Stephen Offei, who wasn’t even registered in the I-League. However, unlike Ricketts, Offei is looking for a club in India as he has a visa till the end of the season.
New signing John Menyongar, who had been training with Dempo since November and is on loan from Shillong Lajong, was among the substitutes in Dempo’s 0-1 defeat to Prayag United on Friday, and since the I-League champions are not taking part in the AFC Cup, they are unlikely to sign a fourth foreigner.
