Clifford Miranda is set to extend his stay with FC Goa as their assistant coach for the new season, the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) club confirmed on Friday. The former Indian international played 44 times for the Blue Tigers and recently completed his AFC Pro Diploma Coaching course. He was first appointed as the Gaurs’ assistant coach ahead of Hero ISL 2019-20 and will continue in that role under Goa’s new head coach Juan Ferrando in the upcoming campaign.

“I’m delighted to continue my tenure at FC Goa and want to help the team succeed in the coming season. I’m also looking forward to working with our new Head Coach Juan (Ferrando) and together taking this team to new heights. Being able to work with FC Goa in the AFC Champions League is another exciting prospect for me,” Miranda enthused after signing his contract extension.

FC Goa’s Director of Football, Ravi Puskur was just as pleased with Miranda’s decision to extend his stay with the Gaurs. “Clifford’s growth as a coach has been commendable. Since he joined us, he has shown an incredible appetite to learn, self-improve and has also gone about improving the players under him in the junior squad and the first team,” Puskur said.

“I’m glad that Clifford will continue to form a vital part of the coaching staff and I’m confident that under Juan, he will only gain more knowledge and experience and will have an active role to play in the direction the first team takes this season. His knowledge and playing experience in India will be vital in guiding the local players through the season and improving them as they go along,” he added.

An enterprising midfielder who spent most of his playing days with Dempo SC, Miranda also represented FC Goa as a player in the inaugural Hero ISL campaign in 2014. He made 11 appearances for them that season and provided two assists. Miranda led Goa as interim head coach towards the latter part of last season and helped them top the Hero ISL standings to become the first-ever Indian club to book their spot in the group stage of the AFC Champions League.