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Thee 2018 edition of the Santosh Trophy showcased a hotbed of talented football players from across the country, battling it out to make their respective states proud. One such player, who has impressed many is West Bengal's Tirthankar Sarkar.
Now, on the back of the impressive performances in the competition, Tirthankar has managed to attract interest from Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan.
The 24-year-old currently plies his trade at Mohammedan Sporting in the I-League 2nd Division, and a move across the Maidan to the Green and Maroons can only take place once the summer transfer window opens.
He would not be able to appear in Mohun Bagan colours during the ongoing Super Cup, where the Green and Maroons have made it to the quarterfinals after defeating Churchill Brothers.
Sarkar was a part of the West Bengal side that produced impressive performances in their defence of their 32nd Santosh Trophy title this season. While they did manage to dominate most other sides, there was one team that they came up short against -- eventual champions Kerala.
The 24-year-old winger ran riot in the final against Kerala, a match that ended 2-2 after extra time, as the team from South India went on to win on penalties. Incidentally, the defending champions were trailing 2-1 late in extra time, when they earned a late free kick, which Tirthankar converted from the edge of the box, to take the match to penalties.
Tirthankar's set-piece abilities is an added bonus, something that seems to have further impressed the Bagan management, Sportskeeda has learnt.
The 24-year-old earned special praise from SN Balan after the Santosh Trophy final, as the Kerala coach revealed that he had warned his players about Tirthankar's set-piece abilities.
"I told my team to make him pass only to the right or play only to the right. I asked them to prevent him from taking the free-kick from the left or the centre since that is his strong point. However, he took it from the left and scored," Balan had said.
While Tirthankar Sarkar will go back to the I-League 2nd Division with Mohammedan Sporting for now, he has certainly paved a way for a chance in the big leagues, with his performances in the Santosh Trophy.
