#2 Stephen Pearson
The player might have taken a sabbatical for a year, but he’s back with a bang. Pearson reached the finals of the Hero Indian Super League in its inaugural season with the Kerala Blasters. He was, in fact, the ma who scored the winning goal in extra-time against South Indian rivals Chennaiyin FC in the semi-finals that year. The Scot returned for the third season of ISL and signed the dotted line for Atletico de Kolkata, who have used him effectively.
The former Celtic man has seen a change in role at his new club, and seems to be thriving there. Pearson was used as a super-sub in the attacking third by David James in the first season, while Molina has used his as a pivotal midfielder who has the freedom to go ahead and attack. Inspiring play from the deep, Pearson has made some key contributions to his team, scoring three times.
While the Kerala Blasters campaign stuttered in the beginning, the presence of someone who’s been there and won five trophies in the Scottish League would’ve surely come handy. The midfield for the Blasters has looked too defensive at times, with Mahamat and Mehtab Hossain both being similar players. The former PFA Scot young player of the year award winner has performed exceedingly well for his new side, and it will be interesting to see how Molina uses his trump card in the knock-out phases.
