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What's the story?
Indian Super League (ISL) club ATK have bolstered their backline with the signing of Brazilian defender Gerson Vieria from Japanese club Renofa Yamaguchi, the club announced on Monday.
In case you didn't know...
Gerson, as he is more popularly known, was, at one time, dubbed as one of Brazil's most promising defenders. In fact, in 2009, he was the captain of Brazil, a team that consisted several modern-day stars like Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Casemiro, Alisson amongst others, at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
However, Brazil crashed out in the group stages and since then, Gerson's career has gone downhill. His parent club, Gremio, sent him out on multiple loan moves, leaving the once-promising defender to jump around from Red Bull Brasil to Uruguay’s Atenas. Finally, in 2016 he found a home in India at Mumbai City FC. After impressive performances, he was retained again for the 2017-18 season, following which he joined J-League Division 2 side, Renofa Yamaguchi.
The heart of the matter
During his four months at Renofa, Gerson did not really feature much, making only four appearances and a move back to ISL was imminent.
Having made 81 successful tackles, 43 interceptions and 97 clearances in 31 matches, he was one of the best defenders for the Islanders alongside Lucian Goian. However, it was the 25-year-old's versatility that made him stand out.
At ATK, he will either pair up with former Bengaluru FC man John Johnson in the heart of defence or take up the role of the defensive screen in midfield.
What's next?
With the new season of the ISL fast approaching, it seems like ATK are making all the right moves in the transfer market. In Gerson, Steve Coppell has a man who can sense and stop any brewing attacks. A couple of more new signings and a solid pre-season might be just what they need.
How do you think Gerson will fit in at ATK? What role will he assume? Have your say in the comments section.
