Rahul KP joined Odisha FC from Kerala Blasters after spending five and a half seasons with the Kochi-based club.

The winger became a huge fan favourite at his home state club and earned a reputation of being one of the finest Indian wingers in the Indian Super League (ISL).

But the 24-year-old has chosen to head to Bhubaneswar for a fresh challenge with an aim to take his career to the next level.

There are several factors which could make this move a huge success for the Kerala-born attacker and leaving behind Kerala Blasters FC could prove to be a hard yet fruitful decision in the future.

A Lobera-style winger

Rahul KP fits the bill for the type of winger that Lobera has used in the ISL in his time in India. The Spaniard likes his wingers to stay wide and use their speed and trickery to cause problems to the opposition defences.

With usually a target man upfront, the wingers also have room to drift inside and use the striker as a reference point and make runs behind the defence.

Rahul is good with both those needs as he is very strong hugging the touchline and stretching play but has also played as a centre-forward at times so is also comfortable cutting inside and being more direct.

A solid finisher, Rahul’s eye for goal was a quality wasn;t as utilised at Kerala Blasters FC as his role meant he had to stay wide more often.

Lobera is known for getting the best out of his wingers as he has proven with Jackichand Singh at FC Goa, Bipin Singh at Mumbai City FC and Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Isak Vanlalruatfela at Odisha FC.

"Rahul is a profile of player who can fit very well into our play style. I am sure he will help us improve. I am happy with his arrival,” Lobera said on the player's arrival.

So, the Spaniard might just be the mentor that Rahul needs to unlock his potential.

𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻. 📳#OdishaFC #AmaTeamAmaGame #KalingaWarriors pic.twitter.com/QkBxShTz29

— Odisha FC (@OdishaFC) January 8, 2025

Healthy competition

Rahul KP will enter the Odisha FC squad with a strong competition for his place out wide. Jerry and Isak have been in the system and have earned Lobera’s trust. Rahim Ali has also been utilised out wide by the Spaniard at times.

The trio though have only scored five goals among themselves this season and his move to bring in the 24-year-old from Kerala Blasters FC could push the trio to up their game and perform better.

Similarly for Rahul, the presence of those three in the squad would certainly push him to give his best and constantly look to improve in order to stay in Lobera’s plans. This kind of healthy pressure is what might be needed for him to get to the next level.

Rubbing shoulders with greats

For an attacking player in an ISL, you can’t ask for more than sharing the dressing room with Diego Mauricio, Roy Krishna, Ahmed Jahouh and Hugo Boumous. For Rahul KP, the presence of these four ISL greats could be a huge help for him to improve his game.

Even on the field, the quality that they bring to the table could make a huge difference to a player who is trying to find his feet in a new team and environment to settle down quickly. Playing alongside these greats, Rahul KP will be compelled to raise his game so that he could match up to the levels required at Odisha FC.