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I-League club Gokulam Kerala FC has successfully signed NEROCA defender Ashok Singh for the 2019-20 season. The club from Imphal finished sixth in the points table, with 26 points from 20 matches.
Ashok is primarily a right-back but can play in the center-back position too. The 26-year-old played 18 matches for NEROCA in the previous season and had 4 assists to his name.
Although he likes to shore forward, he doesn't compromise his defensive duties. A total of 90 interceptions and 108 successful defensive challenges is a testament of his defensive acumen.
Gokulam Kerala FC alternated between Abhishek Das, Monotosh Chakladar, and Mehtab Singh in the right-back position the previous season. The Manipuri defender will compete with them for a spot in the starting line-up with them.
Ashok Singh becomes Gokulam Kerala's fourth domestic signing following the footsteps of Malemngamba Meetei and Lalit Thapa from his former club, NEROCA, and Lalromawia from Chhinga Veng.
Although they are yet to sign a foreign player, the Malabarians have started negotiations to rope former Mohun Bagan player Henry Kisekka. A lot of other I-League clubs have also given an offer to the Ugandan, but Gokulam are the front-runners so far.
NEROCA, on the other hand, is seeing a mass exodus of talent. First, they released Eduardo Ferreira and Felix Chidi before the inception of Super Cup, from which they withdrew, and then Katsumi Yusa penned the deal for Chennai City FC.
Chencho Gyeltshen's loan spell from Bengaluru FC has also got over and the chances of Varney Kallon and Aryn Williams continuing with NEROCA look bleak as well.
However, they are on the verge of welcoming back their former head coach Gift Raikhan, who guided them to a second-place finish in their debut 2017-18 season of the I-League.
