Dimitar Berbatov, former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker, has been signed by the Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters ahead of the 2017-18 season.
Blasters' CEO, Varun Tripuraneni, confirmed the news to Sportstar on Wednesday.
“In terms of selection of players, we were looking at him for quite sometime. After Rene Meulensteen came on board, it became easier to get the deal done. Berbatov has been with Rene in Manchester United, so they share a comfort level and chemistry,” said Varun Tripuraneni.
“We hope to start the camp by September. Berbatov is excited and keen to play in India. He heard a lot of good things about ISL from Robbie Keane (ATK), his Tottenham Hotspur colleague at one point,” he added.
The 36-year-old, who has signed a one-year contract, was a free agent after leaving the Greek side PAOK Salonika in June 2016.
Berbatov, who is Bulgaria's all-time leading scorer with 48 goals in 79 matches, joined United from Spurs in 2008 for a then club-record fee of 30 million pounds ($39 million).
In Manchester, the Bulgarian scored 48 goals in 108 Premier League appearances, winning two league titles.
Berbatov will link up with Kerala's new head coach Rene Meulensteen, who has worked with him during the forward's time at Old Trafford as well as Fulham. Last week, the Indian club also signed former Manchester United defender Wes Brown.
Berbatov, named Bulgaria's Footballer of the Year on seven occasions, has also played for CSKA Sofia, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco during his illustrious career.
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