Alwyn George, Nikhil Poojari join FC Pune City

The club has procured the services of the two midfielders for the 2018-19 Indian Premier League season.

Alwyn George (in picture) played for Bengaluru FC last season.

FC Pune City has signed midfielders Alwyn George and Nikhil Poojari for the 2018-19 Indian Premier League (ISL) season.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for both players. Alwyn, who plied his trade for Bengaluru FC last season, will be back to his home State of Maharashtra. Nikhil, a Mumbai lad, will return to the State after having spent two seasons in Kolkata playing for East Bengal.

The club feels Alwyn “will suit our style of play” and looks at Nikhil as “one of the most exciting young players in the country.” Its CEO Gaurav Modwel said, “Alwyn is one of the more technical players we have in India and we feel he will suit our style of play. His flair for creating chances will bring more creativity in our play. Nikhil, on the other hand, is one of the most exciting young players in the country. We have been tracking him for a couple of years now. At a young age, he has already gained a good amount of professional experience and we hope that he settles well in our squad.”

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Alwyn started his career with the Tata Football Academy in 2008 and signed his first professional contract with Pailan Arrows four years later. It was during his stint at Dempo that he grabbed attention. He was named best young Indian player of the season for two years in a row. After that, Alwyn played in the ISL with FC Goa, Delhi Dynamos FC and later Bengaluru FC.

‘Great opportunity’

Excited to join the Stallions, George said, “It’s a great opportunity for me to play for a team which is ambitious and professionally managed at the same time. Also, it is an added advantage for me since I will play for a team from my home State.”

Nikhil started his football career in Mumbai. Soon, he joined the youth team of Mumbai FC before being signed by East Bengal in 2015. His pace and fitness levels with East Bengal impressed national scouts that rightly got him the national call for U-23 and later, the senior side, too.

Nikhil said, “I’m excited to join FC Pune City and play in the Indian Super League. To my mind, this is a good club from my state Maharashtra to play for and has a very professional management. It was a no-brainer for me to sign with them at the first chance I got. I am looking forward to make the most of the opportunities I get here at the club.”