ISL 2018: Jamshedpur FC rope in top Indian U-17 World Cup squad youngsters

Amarjit Singh Kiyam
Amarjit Singh Kiyam

What's the story?

Indian Super League (ISL) side Jamshedpur FC have roped in U-17 World Cup Indian stalwarts, Aniket Jadhav and Amarjit Singh on 3-year deals, thus making them part of the club till 2021.

In case you didn't know...

Amarjit Singh Kiyam was the captain of the Indian squad in the U-17 World Cup 2017. He captained the side in 33 games and was influential in creating chances for the team and track back to defend the goal as well. Kiyam also went on to captain the AIFF developmental side, Indian Arrows in the 2017-18 I-League.

Aniket Jadhav was one of the most popular names of the India U-17 side. His quick runs down the right in the U-17 World Cup 2017 and AFC U-16 Championship 2016 made him a well known name across the Indian football fraternity.

The heart of the matter

Amarjit Singh Kiyam began his youth career in the AIFF Elite Academy. He was part of the first batch of players picked up in 2015 for the U-17 World Cup 2017 squad. He maintained his form and was part of all the batches of the provisional U-17 World Cup squads. His seniority over other players awarded him the captain's armband for the national team.

Kiyam was born in Manipur and made his professional debut in the I-League 2017-18 with Indian Arrows, a development team fielded by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Aniket Jadhav, hails from the football crazy land of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Along with Kiyam, Jadhav too was part of the Elite Academy provisional batches for the U-17 World Cup. He had a good U-17 World Cup campaign under Matos. Jadhav's pace down the right and quick crossing abilities made him a firm member of the squad.

Jadhav was also part of the famous India U-20 squad which defeated Heavyweights Argentina U-20 by a 2-1 scoreline in the COTIF Cup. He made his professional debut against Chennai City for Arrows in the I-League, scoring twice on his debut.

What's next?

Jamshedpur FC will loan out Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Aniket Jadhav back to AIFF to play for Indian Arrows in a bid to help them inculcate playing time and experience for one whole season before they make their Indian Super League debut in the 2019-20 season.

Long term contracts with youngsters are certainly a good sign of things.


Will the youngsters live up to the expectations of the football fraternity with consistent performances? Do share your opinions in the comments section below.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee