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Two-time Indian Super League champions ATK have been rather slow in pursuing their foreign targets this summer, but they have roped in quite a few big names including the biggest name of Robbie Keane.
The Teddy Sheringham-coached franchise have signed five foreigners - Keane, Zequinha, Conor Thomas, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Carl Baker - to go with their domestic contingent for the 2017-18 ISL. With the I-League winner Ashley Westwood part of ATK's technical team in Sheringham's support, it is expected that the Red and Whites will continue their dominance over the three-year-old league.
Without further ado, let us take a look at ATK's foreign dealings this summer, rating them on the basis of myriad factors like experience, history, elite connections, trophies among other. An important point here is that the club have signed only five players so far out of their quota of eight, so this list isn't a definitive one.
#5 Conor Thomas
The English midfielder has been playing senior football since he was 17 and even ended up at Liverpool once, but Coventry City and Swindon Town are the places where he has had all his senior caps in English football. Still only 23, Thomas moving to ATK came as a surprise, but with Sheringham and Westwood in charge, the 6ft 1in central midfielder will be the sprightly support Eugeneson Lyngdoh would need at the heart of ATK's midfield next season. Although he isn't a big-name signing, Thomas could turn out to be one of the shrewdest signings of this summer.
#4 Zequinha
Portuguese striker Jose Egas dos Santos Branco, also known as Zequinha, became ATK's second foreign signing after Keane. The 30-year-old has been around senior level football for over 12 years now and has also played in Greece apart from his native Portugal. However, ISL 2017-18 will be Zequinha's first spell outside Europe and it remains to be seen how he settles in at his new club. His problems could further be compounded by the fact that he isn't quite a free scoring striker like Keane, and comparisons between the two could affect the FC Porto Academy graduate.
#3 Carl Baker
The 34-year-old might not be the biggest name to join an ISL club this summer, but his signing could be among the best. Baker has spent all his career playing in the English lower leagues which could be an indicator that he might actually get along well with Indian football. Like Thomas, Baker has been through a spell at Coventry City where he became a cult hero, but it is his bags of experience that was key in ATK roping him in. ATK are currently understaffed in wide positions, where the versatile Baker can fill in. He can also play centrally as a number ten if required.
#2 Jussi Jaaskelainen
Jaaskelainen is a legend of the Premier League. Having spent all his Premier League career carrying the can for mid-to-lower tier clubs like Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United, the Finn comes to India with experience like very few. He has played over 400 Premier League matches in goal for Bolton and West Ham and despite being 42 now, he is still very much in the zone for a goalkeeper. Jaaskelainen has been one of the top professionals in the Premier League over the years, and by roping him in, ATK have seemingly landed a coup.
#1 Robbie Keane
Keane needs no introduction to Indian football fans. The Irish legend is a goal scoring machine, and although the machine has felt the effects of ageing in recent years, it is still alive, kicking and scoring at will. The 37-year-old might be cast aside as an expensive gamble by ATK, but his record speaks for himself. Keane's reputation follows him, and he has scored goals everywhere he has played, from Italy and Scotland to England and the United States. India is his latest stop, and it remains to be seen how he influences proceedings in the ISL next season. That said, should he start knocking the goals in, his exorbitant wages might seem a bargain by ISL-4's end.
