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Indian Super League had attracted several big names, who have helped to bring in big crowds. These stars from around the world of football have had enough quality in them, to attract lucrative offers from all over the globe. However, they decided to pick India, over the other countries, as they signed for their respective ISL clubs.
Sportskeeda takes a look at the top 4 ISL foreigners who rejected attractive deals elsewhere to play in India.
4) Gregory Nelson
Chennaiyin FC's Dutch recruit Gregory Nelson in the 2017/18 season of the ISL side rejected several offers from Europe to play in India's most popular football league.
The 29-year-old had stints in AZ Alkmaar, RBC Roosendaal, CSKA Sofia Metalurh Donetsk, Botev Plovdiv, Kaisar and Al-Muharraq before landing in India.
Nelson has revealed that he had several offers from Europe but courtesy Hans Mulder's recommendation of coming to India, he penned the deal with Chennaiyin FC.
He had a sparkling start to his campaign in India, as he impressed everyone in his appearance against NorthEast United in a 3-0 win.
3) Robbie Keane
The 37-year-old striker was roped in by ATK in the 2017-18 season. He had appeared for 146 times for his country and is the record goalscorer for Ireland.
According to the Irish media, Robbie Keane had several offers from the Championship in England. Reports suggested that Birmingham City were one of the front-runners vying for Keane's signature.
Keane says that the idea of trying out new fan cultures elsewhere in Asia excited him, so he moved to India to play for the two times Indian Super League winners - ATK based in Kolkata.
Robbie Keane sustained an injured in training prior to the 2017 Indian Super League season and was rested for the tournament's two opening games.
2) Diego Forlan
The Uruguayan is no stranger to the football fraternity after mesmerising Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan fans in an illustrated career.
Forlan joined the ISL bandwagon in the 2016 season after Mumbai City signed him up. Forlan had an impressive campaign, playing in 11 matches and netting 5 goals.
The Uruguayan claimed that he had offers from Spain and Italy, but he chose India instead, in a bid to explore new fan cultures across the world. He was impressed by the crowd turnouts in the tournament and saw it as an opportunity to impress the Indian fans.
Forlan is now without a club after his three-month stint with the Islanders in the franchise tournament.
1) Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
The Juventus legend joined the Indian Super League in 2014 after Delhi Dynamos got him on board in a whopping Rs14 crore deal for four months.
Del Piero was in negotiations with Hungarian club Honved FC but they could not match up with the financial might of Delhi Dynamos and the deal ended up failing. Del Piero was also linked to several Major League Soccer (MLS) sides but none could match up with the Indian side on finance either. The side from the capital wrapped the deal up, thus making history by signing the most expensive foreigner in Indian Football.
The Italian had a poor outing with the Lions, scoring only a single goal from a free-kick in ten appearances. Del Piero has announced retirement from the sport after his stint with Delhi.
