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After a heart-breaking previous season for the Delhi Dynamos, they have rebuilt their squad with some smart purchasing and have roped in a former world-class player as their manager in the form of Roberto Carlos. In the players department, the team from the capital has brought in some truly world-class names in the form of John Arne Riise and Florent Malouda. Along with these ageing stars, they have also acquired the services of a few youngsters, whom we will take a look at in this article.
#1 Adil Nabi
Let’s begin with 21-year old striker Adil Nabi, who is a graduate from the youth academy of Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. The Baggies, who are strategic partners with the Dynamos, allowed their Young Player of the Season from last year to sign a loan agreement with the Delhi outfit as they feel that stepping out of his comfort zone and experiencing another part of the world will help him develop as a player.
He is the only player in the ISL who is contracted to a Premier League team and is seen as a future star by his parent club, for whose youth team he scored 12 goals in just 22 games. Tony Pulis, the manager of West Brom, was impressed with his performance and placed him on the bench for his team’s league games against Man City and West Ham United towards the end of the last campaign.
Nabi hopes that the Indian experience will be a learning one, both on and off the field. With his sharp finishing and electric speed, and players like Riise and Malouda in support, the striker will hope to finish high in the ISL scoring charts and stake a claim for a place in the Baggies first team in the near future.
#2 Richard Gadze
After a young and promising Englishman, we now turn to a young centre-forward from Ghana named Richard Gadze. The 21-year old is seen as one of the brightest young talents in his country and has been recently called up to the Ghana U23 squad after being a part of the national team that won the Wafu Cup in 2013.
He is coming off the back of a spectacular season with his parent club Ebusua Dwarfs, where he was instrumental in their promotion to the first division. He chose to sign for the Delhi team after turning down offers from clubs all over the world, and will have a crucial role to play in Delhi’s ISL 2 campaign.
Both manager Roberto Carlos and club president Prashant Agarwal expressed their delight at signing the young forward on loan, and will be looking to make the most of pace and technique. An attacking due of Nabi and Gadze, in front of a player like Malouda, will be deadly for any defense in the league, and holds great potential for the team from the capital.
#3 Zodingliana Ralte
Next up, we have a young playmaker from the state of Mizoram, in the form of creative midfielder Zodingliana Ralte. At just 20 years of age, he played 16 out of 20 games for Shillong Lajong in the I-League last year and scored two goals as well. He is a product of the Meghalaya-based team’s youth academy and has been part of the India under-14, under-16 and under-19 set-ups.
He was a part of North East United FC in the ISL’s previous edition and played 10 games for John Abraham’s team, which unfortunately finished bottom of the table last year. He is known for his passing abilities and vision and is also dangerous with the dead ball.
It is always wonderful to see young talent bursting to the scene in such leagues, and Ralte will be hoping to do the same. Under coach Roberto Carlos’ tutelage, he will look to take his game to the next level, and perhaps knock on Stephen Constantine's door for a place in the national squad.
#4 Sehnaj Singh
Every team needs a strong anchor in its midfield, which is exactly what this youngster from Chandigarh will be looking to do for the Delhi Dynamos. Sehnaj, who featured in the Indian national team’s recent games against Oman and Guam, is one of the upcoming stars in our country’s footballing scene.
In a stellar season with Mohun Bagan, where they were crowned I-League champions, Sehnaj made 18 league appearances for the Mariners and played a crucial role in his team’s success. A box-to-box midfielder, he is blessed with great tenacity and stamina, along with a powerful right foot.
After starting out with the Pailan Arrows, the 22-year old has come a long way in the last few years and will look to improve upon his game while playing alongside Hans Mulder in the centre of the Dynamos’ midfield.
#5 Seminlen Doungel
Lastly, we have Seminlen Doungel, a 21-year old striker from Manipur, who was recently signed by Bengaluru FC at the end of the I-League season. The forward, who is known for his poaching abilities in front of goal, made his debut in January 2013 for the Pailan Arrows, while on loan from East Bengal.
He came into the limelight after becoming a starter for Shillong Lajong in the 2014-15 season, making a total of 19 appearances for the club. He scored just one goal in the campaign, but it was a very crucial one as it came on the final day of the season against East Bengal which helped his team avoid relegation on the very last day. He also featured for NorthEast United FC in last year’s ISL, playing 10 games and scoring one goal.
At Delhi Dynamos, he will team up with fellow Bengaluru FC teammate Robin Singh, and will look to make a name for himself and push for greater heights.
