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Bengaluru FC have acquired the services of right-back Prabir Das from ATK Mohun Bagan ahead of the 2021-22 season of the Indian Super League (ISL), the club announced on Monday. The Blues have signed the 28-year-old on a three-year deal that will keep the full-back with the Mariners until the 2024-25 season.
A Pailan Arrows Youth Academy product, Prabir is an experienced defender who has won the Federation Cup and Indian Super League. After starting his professional career with the Arrows in the 2012-13 season, Das jumped the deck to Dempo before making his way into the ISL.
His first ISL stint was with FC Goa in the inaugural edition of the tournament. The Sodepur-born then found a home in Kolkata after signing for Mohun Bagan in 2015. The 28-year-old has spent the last seven years with ATK and ATK Mohun Bagan.
Speaking about his new venture, Prabir Das told the official Bengaluru FC website:
“I am very happy at having signed for Bengaluru FC because this is a football club that I have admired for a while now. I have played at the Kanteerava and the atmosphere is always high-energy, and I am waiting to experience it while wearing the Bengaluru shirt."
Bengaluru FC didn't have the best of seasons in the previous ISL edition. The Karnataka side finished sixth in the league standings, five points off the top-four spots. Das has stated that he wants to help return the club to their glory days. He said:
"I am eager to play a big part in bringing back the success that this club is used to and I am grateful to the owners and management for showing faith in me, and for wanting me to be a part of their ambitions."
Das will bring a lot of experience to the BFC backline. He made 39 appearances for ATK Mohun Bagan in the last two seasons. In a testament to his attacking prowess, the full-back recorded the joint-highest assists by a defender with five during the 2019-20 season and went on to win the title with ATK.
Prabir has also played for India at the national level, making his debut against Turkmenistan in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship qualifications. In an AFC U23 Championship qualifier against Syria in 2015, he made his India U23 debut.
Speaking about the new signing, club director Parth Jindal stated:
"Prabir is a player we had set our sights on for some time now, and we’re happy to have him commit his future to Bengaluru FC. With Prabir and his experience, BFC have found a trusted and able player who makes us stronger."
"We are confident we can give Prabir the platform to excel and get back to the national team while helping Bengaluru FC achieve its goal of getting back to where we belong – right at the top."
