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The fourth season of the ISL is upon us, and the cricket-crazy nation of India is once again set to turn its attention to the cash-rich football tournament.
While the ISL is still not recognised as the top-tier league in the country (a position that is taken up by the I-League for now), it has attracted a lot of interest from around the world.
With a number of foreign marquee players and coaches making their way to the league, a number of Indian players are also being benefited, as they are able to showcase their skills on a bigger platform. Here, we take a look at four such players, who attracted interest from foreign clubs after ISL stints.
Romeo Fernandes
The midfielder was considered to be one of the hottest properties in Indian football, around three years back. Having started off his career with the famous Dempo SC, Romeo went on to make a loan switch across town to FC Goa, back in 2014.
It was here, that the young midfielder grabbed a few eyeballs under former Brazil legend and the then Goa coach Zico. His efforts even earned him a loan move to Brazilian top tier club Atletico Paranaense. However, his stay at the club lasted just a little over three months, as he played only 21 minutes for Paranaense.
Mandar Rao Desai
The pacy left-winger is another player who had excelled for FC Goa in the Indian Super League. Clearly, former coach Zico had a keen eye for nimble-footed Indian football players. His exploits in the ISL eventually earned him an invitation from Spanish La Liga club Villarreal.
Although his trial in Spain lasted for only two weeks, Mandar came would have picked up a lot of experience from his sojourn to the Iberian peninsula, to a club that has played in the UEFA Champions League before. He later signed up by FC Goa, and also had a loan stint with Bengaluru FC, with whom he won the Federation Cup, earlier this year.
Sandesh Jhingan
Sandesh Jhingan has become a household name among Indian football fans these days, or at least among the Kerala Blasters fans. However, before the Indian Super League was launched, the centreback was an almost unknown quantity in Indian football.
The lanky defender started impressing from the very first season itself, when he was signed by the Blasters in the inaugural season in 2014. His performances in the first season itself were enough to attract interests from Brazil, according to reports. However, the move did not materialize, and the ‘Minister of Defence’ went on to become a permanent fixture at the back for Kerala, and was announced as their captain for the 2017 season.
Robin Singh
Robin Singh has been one of the top forwards in India for quite some time now. Having played for big clubs like East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, Robin has also become a regular in the national team squad.
In the second ISL season, Robin Singh was involved in a tussle between former I-League club Bengaluru FC and ISL franchise Delhi Dynamos, with the latter accusing the Blues of “unprofessional and negligent behavior” with regards to the player’s transfer.
Around this time, Robin himself had shown some interest in opportunities abroad, and had even contacted clubs in Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia. While certain clubs from these regions did show some interest, a move never really materialised. Most recently, Robin signed for defending ISL champions ATK, ahead of the 2017 season.
