ISL 2020-21: East Bengal announces 22-member domestic squad

Kolkata giant East Bengal announced the list of 22 Indian players included in Robbie Fowler's squad for the upcoming Indian Super League season.

Robbie Fowler has been named coach of SC East Bengal for ISL 2020-21.

SC East Bengal announced a 22-member domestic squad for upcoming Indian Super League season. The signings include star forward Jeje Lalpekhlua and the likes of Balwant Singh, Narayan Das, Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Mohammad Rafique among others.

Jeje, who spent six seasons with two-time ISL champion with Chennaiyin FC, is ready to resume action after recovering from a knee surgery he had in May 2019.

“I am hungry to play football again after a prolonged break due to injury. I cannot wait to don the red and gold colours and give my best every time I take the field,” Jeje said.

Jeje's upfront colleague Balwant also brings in a lot of experience having spent the last two seasons with three-time ISL winner ATK. He made 23 league appearances for the club and won the Federation Cup with Churchill Brothers before joining Mohun Bagan in the 2014-15 season to help it win the I-League.

Our domestic squad for the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League season. #SCEastBengal#ChhilamAchiThakbo#WeAreSCEB#JoySCEastBengal#JoyEastBengal#AreYouReadyHeroISLpic.twitter.com/RYe4vcL4Sc

— SC East Bengal (@sc_eastbengal) October 20, 2020

 

Narayan Das played all the 18 matches for Odisha FC last season and turned out in national colours in the Asian Cup. The 34-year-old Eugeneson began with a lot of promise after joining ATK in the 2017-18 season. But the Meghalaya-born midfielder but had to spend most of the time on the bench nursing a ruptured Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) on his left knee. Lyngdoh joins East Bengal after sending a season with Bengaluru FC.

“East Bengal is a club with a lot of history and I am thrilled to be a part of that legacy in its hundredth year,” Lyngdoh said.

 

The signings for the ISL leaves out certain names who had completed pre-season contracts with the erstwhile administration of the East Bengal, which has since been taken over by Shree Cement. The new club management has assured to honour the contract of those players, numbering about six, if they fail to find any clubs in the ensuing I-League season. The ones with an earlier contract who did not find favour in the selection done by the new head coach Robbie Fowler's staff, will become a part of the reserve squad which will be tried out in the local Calcutta Football League season, said a club official.

Indian names signed by East Bengal for ISL: