Ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL 2023-24), East Bengal FC have signed Nishu Kumar on a one-year loan deal from Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC).
The 25-year-old won the ISL title with Bengaluru FC (BFC) in the 2018-19 season under current East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat. He was also part of the KBFC squad that finished runners-up in the ISL 2021-22. An am bipedal full-back, Nishu has the rare ability to operate on both sides of the pitch and will add great flexibility to the team.
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“It’s a matter of great pride for me to join an iconic institution like East Bengal. This club has a huge fan base, which is always a great motivation for a player to give his best,” Nishu said after joining the club.
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“I am also thrilled to reunite with Coach Carles, who groomed me in my formative years at BFC. We will be playing a lot of matches in the upcoming season and I will give my best in every match and try to bring joy to our fans that they truly deserve,” he added.
Nishu is East Bengal FC’s third signing of the summer after announcing the arrival of Nandhakumar Sekar from Odisha FC and Borja Herrera from Hyderabad FC.
Nishu Kumar Career
Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Nishu learnt the rudiments of the game at the Chandigarh Football Academy before graduating from the AIFF Elite Academy.
In 2015, the young defender joined Bengaluru FC and went on to win the I-League in his debut season in professional football. Nishu became an integral part of the BFC set-up during his 5-year-long stint with the Blues.
After featuring in 9 matches during BFC’s maiden ISL campaign in 2017-18, Nishu took his game a notch higher by playing a pivotal role in the Blues’ first ISL triumph the following season.
Nishu’s string of consistent performances for BFC earned him his senior national team debut in a friendly against Jordan in Amman on November 18, 2018, where he scored in his maiden international appearance.
After helping BFC reach their third consecutive ISL semi-finals in the 2019-20 season, Nishu signed for KBFC ahead of the ISL 2020-21.
In the ISL 2022-23, Nishu made 17 appearances and registered 1 assist, 12 interceptions, 22 clearances and 15 successful tackles. Besides, he also played every minute of KBFC’s Super Cup 2023 campaign.
Overall, in his 82 ISL matches so far, Nishu has racked up 3 goals, 2 assists, 82 interceptions and 189 clearances. The player registration is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.
