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After signing 18-year-old goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, the Kerala Blasters have roped in another World Cup star – Jeakson Singh Thounaojam – who is the only goal scorer for India at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
The 17-year-old had scored India's solitary goal with a superb header in the match against Columbia, which India eventually lost 1-2. The midfielder earlier plied his trade with Minerva Punjab but was sent on loan to the Indian Arrows for development purposes. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) owned team polishes and grooms Indian youngsters and also ensures they get regular playing time in the I-League.
Jeakson also has a few caps for the India U-20 team and was part of the 25-member squad which took part in the 2018 COTIF Cup, in which the Indian Colts defeated Argentina 2-1 in a historic match. Jeakson got his chance in the match against Murcia U20s. Although India did not win the Mini Mundial Sub U-20 Men’s Football Tournament, it did provide the players with a lot of good exposure.
Kerala Blasters announced the signing of the promising youngster on Wednesday (October 3) evening via Twitter. Jeakson's former club Minerva Punjab also wished him all the luck for his future endeavours at his new club. He had led Minerva Punjab's team to consecutive U-15 & U-16 Youth League Titles.
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters started their Indian Super League campaign on the right note with a 2-0 win over ATK in their inaugural match of season 5. The Men in Yellow go up against Mumbai City FC in their next encounter on October 5. It will be interesting to see what the David James-coached team has in mind for Jeakson in the long term. For now, he will be loaned back to the Arrows and continue to play in the I-League in order to continue his development under national team coach Floyd Pinto.
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