SC East Bengal found it hard to get the ball rolling last season when they finished in 9th position with 17 points in 20 matches. The Red and Gold Brigade won 3 and lost 9 of their bouts. Their newly appointed former Real Madrid B manager, Jose Manuel Díaz would look to change things in the upcoming Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season.

SC East Bengal's Hero ISL 2021-22 squad

The club has been active in the transfer window with a plethora of signings. They have secured some key new additions and loan moves on their journey to redeem themselves of the past misfortunes.

INs

Franjo Prce:

The 25-year-old center-back has joined SC East Bengal from NK Slaven Belupo. Franjo made 20 appearances in the Croatian first division league, Prva HNL, last season. It’s worth noting that the Croatian had a spell with SS Lazio at the start of his career.

The relatively young center-back will provide defensive solidity to the team.

Thongkhosiem Haokip:

The 28-year-old forward has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Bengaluru FC. During his four seasons at Bengaluru FC, from the 2017-18 to 2020-21 season, the Manipuri made 28 appearances and scored 2 goals in the ISL.

Semboi’s goal to appearance ratio is much higher in continental competitions. He scored 8 goals in 13 matches for BFC.

The forward spent his youth years at Pune FC and was soon promoted to the first team. He played 36 matches and scored 11 goals for them in the I-League.

Darren Sidoel:

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder who can also play as center-back has joined SC East Bengal from Córdoba CF, a fourth-division Spanish club. The Dutch spent the second half of last season on loan at league competitor Hércules CF.

Darren spent his youth year at the famous Ajax academy. He played for Ajax reserves, after which he moved to Reading FC.

Amir Dervišević:

The 29-year-old midfielder has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from NK Maribor. Dervišević played 123 matches and scored 16 goals in the Slovenian first-tier league for the Maribor-based club. He has represented Slovenia at the youth levels as well as senior levels.

Amarjit Singh Kiyam:

The 20-year-old midfielder has joined SC East Bengal on loan from FC Goa. The Manipuri had a breakthrough in the ISL with Jamshedpur FC in the 2019-20 season. Afterward, he went on to make his senior debut for the national team. Amarjit spent his developmental years as part of AIFF Elite Academy.

Having captained India in the 2017 U-17 World Cup, there are high expectations from the young lad. He was fairly quiet last season but would look to get back his form in the upcoming 2021-22 season.

Adil Khan:

The 33-year-old center-back has joined the Red and Gold Brigade on loan from Hyderabad FC. The Indian football veteran spent last season on loan at FC Goa and played in the AFC Champions League.

Adil played 12 matches and made an assist last season. He was often used as a substitute but that is something he would like to change in the 2021-22 season. And get back to the form he showed at Pune City FC.

Jackichand Singh:

The 29-year-old winger has joined SC East Bengal on loan from Mumbai City FC. The Manipuri won Best Player Of The Season in the 2014-15 I-League with Royal Wahingdoh. Further, he finished runner-up in the 2018-19 Hero ISL and won the 2019 Super with FC Goa.

Jackichand switched to Mumbai City FC in the 2021 January transfer window from Jamshedpur FC. He played 18 matches and made 3 assists in the previous season.

Romeo Fernandes:

The 29-year-old winger has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from FC Goa. The Goan is a product of Dempo SC and won the 2011-12 I-League with them. In 2015, he went to Athletico Paranaense on loan to play in the Brazilian top division after impressing scouts with his staggering runs.

Romeo didn’t feature for a single minute in the ISL last season. He came off the bench in FC Goa’s AFC Champions League game against AL-Rayyan.

Hira Mondal:

The 25-year-old left-back has joined SC East Bengal from Mohammedan SC. The Bengali was an influential player in Mohammedan SC’s promotion to I-League. He made 14 appearances for Black Panthers in the 2020-21 I-League.

Hira was a part of the SC East Bengal youth system. The 2021-22 season will be his debut in the Hero ISL.

Arindam Bhattacharja:

The 31-year-old goalkeeper has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from ATK Mohun Bagan. Arindam won the Golden Glove award last season. Moreover, He has won the 2019-20 Hero ISL with ATK and the 2008-09 I-League with Churchill Brothers.

Arindam played 23 matches last season, in which he kept 10 clean sheets and made 59 saves.

Joyner Lourenco:

The 30-year-old center-back has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Jamshedpur FC. The Goan began his professional career in the I-League with Sporting Club de Goa. Joyner spent his last two seasons at Jamshedpur FC, in which he played 15 matches.

Subha Ghosh:

The 20-year-old striker has joined SC East Bengal on loan from Kerala Blasters FC. The Bengali spent the later stage of his youth at Mohun Bagan. Soon, he was promoted to the first team and made his debut in the 2019-20 I-League.

Afterward, he switched to Kerala Blasters FC in December 2020 as part of a swap deal. Subha didn’t get an opportunity to make his ISL debut last season.

Naorem Mahesh Singh:

The 22-year-old forward has joined the Red and Gold Brigade on loan from Kerala Blasters FC. The Manipuri rose through the ranks at Shillong Lajong and made his I-League debut in the 2018-19 season.

Last season he played for Sudeva Delhi FC in the I-League on loan. He scored 2 goals in 14 appearances for them.

Songpu Singsit:

The 22-year-old forward has joined SC East Bengal from Neroca FC. The Manipuri made his professional debut in the I-League last season. He played 14 matches and scored 3 goals for the Orange Brigade.

Daniel Gomes:

The 24-year-old center-back has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Salgaocar FC. The Goan joined Salgaocar’s youth team in 2015. A few years later, he was promoted to the senior team.

Last season, he played 10 out of possible matches in Goa Premier League.

Tomislav Mrcela:

The 31-year-old center-back has joined SC East Bengal from Perth Glory FC. The Australian played his youth football at a Croatian club, RNK Split. He has the experience of playing in Croatian, South Korean, and Australian first-tier football.

Tomislav finished runner-up in the 2018-19 A-League with Perth Glory FC. He made more than 30 appearances for the Perth-based club in the two seasons he spent with them.

Daniel Chima Chukwu:

The 30-year-old striker has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Taizhou Yuanda FC, a top-tier Chinese club. The Nigerian was instrumental in Molde FK’s escapade to winning the Norwegian league three times in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Moreover, he has played in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League.

Sarineo Fernandes:

The 22-year-old left-back has joined SC East Bengal from FC Goa. The Goan played for Salgaocar FC and Sporting Club De Goa before joining the developmental side of FC Goa in 2018.

Impressed by his performances, Sarineo was promoted to the first team ahead of the 2020-21 season. However, he didn’t get a chance to make his ISL debut.

Lalrinliana Hnamte:

The 18-year-old midfielder has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Hyderabad FC. The man from Mizoram played in the AIFF U-18 I-League with FC Pune City. Then, he was promoted to the reserve squad of Hyderabad FC.

Antonio Perošević:

The 29-year-old forward has joined SC East Bengal. The Croatian has been without a club after his last stint with Újpest FC in the Hungarian top-tier, where he scored 7 goals in 35 appearances. Perošević spent his youth years with NK Osijek, which is a croatian top-division club. Later, he was promoted to the first team and went on to score 38 goals in 122 matches.

The forward has played a couple of matches in the national outfit. He also has the experience of playing in UAE first-tier league with Al Ittihad Kalba SC.

Siddhant Shirodkar:

The midfielder has joined the Red and Gold Brigade from Calangute Association. Siddhant has already featured in the pre-season practice matches and has even got his name on the scoresheet.

OUTs

Sarthak Golui:

The 24-year-old center-back has signed for Bengaluru FC. The Bengali is a product of AIFF Elite Academy and has represented India at youth levels. Sarthak joined SC East Bengal in the January transfer window of 2021. He played 5 matches and scored once in the remaining season.

Narayan Das:

The 28-year-old left-back has signed for Chennaiyin FC. The Tata Football Academy graduate made an assist in 17 matches last season. More importantly, defensively, he made 46 clearances, 41 tackles, and 31 blocks.

Debjit Majumdar:

The 33-year-old goalkeeper has signed for Chennaiyin FC. Debjit won the 2016 Hero ISL with ATK. In addition, he has won the 2014-15 and 2019-20 I-League with Mohun Bagan.

Last season, Debjit played 15 matches in which he made 50 saves and kept 2 clean sheets.

Harmanpreet Singh:

The 20-year-old winger has signed for Bengaluru FC. The man from Punjab spent his youth years at United Punjab FC and has represented India at youth levels. Before joining the SC East Bengal, Harmanpreet played for Indian Arrows in the I-League.

He played 7 matches in the previous season.

Sehnaj Singh:

The 28-year-old midfielder has signed for Northeast United FC. The man from Punjab has played for India at youth and senior levels. He was part of the Indian Arrows set-up in 2011. Moreover, Sehnaj has won the 2014 I-League with Mohun Bagan and 2019-20 ISL with ATK.

The midfielder played only 6 matches last season.

Mirshad K. Michu:

The 27-year-old goalkeeper has joined Northeast United FC from SC East Bengal. The Keralite has spent the last four seasons at SC East Bengal, where he made 13 appearances in total.

Mirshad began his career with Kerala football team and was part of the Gokulam Kerala FC squad in the 2017 Kerala Premier League.

RELEASED

Matti Steinmann:

The 26-year-old midfielder has signed for Brisbane Roar FC, first division Australian club. The German was has played for the national team at youth levels and spent the later stage of his youth career at Hamburger SV.

Steinmann played 17 matches for East Bengal in the previous season. He scored 4 goals and assisted 3 goals. Defensively, he made 53 tackles, 23 interceptions, and 13 blocks.

Danny Fox:

The 35-year-old center-back is a free agent as of now. The Scotsman was part of Everton FC’s youth system and has played in the Premier League with Burnley FC and Southampton FC.

Danny played 16 matches last season. He scored a goal and made 2 assists in the attacking play. While defensively, he made 71 clearances and 33 tackles.

Surchandra Singh:

The 27-year-old midfielder has signed for Real Kashmir FC on a free transfer. The Manipuri assisted 2 goals in 13 appearances last season.

Yumnam Gopi Singh:

The 22-year-old midfielder has signed for FC Bengaluru United on a free transfer. The Manipuri started his professional career with Neroca FC in the I-League. A year later, he joined ATK but was demoted to the reserve team.

Yumnam made 4 appearances in the 2020-21 season.

Girik Khosla:

The 26-year-old forward has signed for Sreenidhi Deccan FC on a free transfer. The Mumbaikar won the 2017-18 I-League with Minerva Punjab FC. Girik didn’t feature in the league for a single minute last season

Calum Woods:

The 34-year-old fullback has signed for Bala Town FC, a top-tier Welsh club, on a free transfer. The Englishman joined SC East Bengal in mid-season as the eighth foreigner. However, he couldn't make a single appearance for the club.

Brandon Vanlalremdika:

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has signed for Mohammedan SC. The man from Mizoram won the 2016-17 I-League with Aizawl FC. Afterward, he switched to the Red and Gold Brigade. During the three seasons he spent with the club, Brandon made 40 appearances.

However, last season didn’t feature in a single match.

Lalramchullova:

The 26-year-old left-back has signed for Mohammedan SC. The man from Mizoram won the 2016-17 and 2019-20 I-League with Aizawl FC and Mohun Bagan, respectively.

Lalramchullova didn’t make a single appearance last season.

Brandon Vanlalremdika:

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has signed for Mohammedan SC. The man from Mizoram won the 2016-17 I-League with Aizawl FC. Afterward, he switched to the Red and Gold Brigade. During the three seasons he spent with the club, Brandon made 40 appearances.

However, last season didn’t feature in a single match.

Rana Gharami:

The 31-year-old center-back has signed for FC Bengaluru United. The Bengali made only 7 appearances and played under 400 minutes last season.

C.K. Vineeth:

The 33-year-old winger has signed for RoundGlass Punjab FC. The Keralite won the I-League twice in 2013-14 and 2015-16 with Bengaluru FC. He was runner-up in the 2016 ISL with Kerala Blasters and the 2019 Super Cup with Chennaiyin FC.

Vineeth played only a little over 100 minutes last season.

Gurtej Singh:

The 31-year-old center-back has signed for RoundGlass Punjab FC. The man from Punjab has won the I-League twice. First in 2013 with Churchill Brothers and the second time with Bengaluru FC in 2014. He had a decent stint with FC Pune City from 2017 to 2019 but has struggled for game time since then.

Gurtej didn’t make a single appearance in the previous season.

Aaron Amadi-Holloway:

The 28-year-old striker has signed for Burton Albion FC, a third-division English club. The Welshman was a part of Cardiff City FC’s youth system. He played for clubs in England and Australia before coming to India.

Holloway played under 500 minutes throughout the season and scored 2 goals.

Milan Singh Ongnam:

The 29-year-old midfielder has signed for Mohammedan SC on a free transfer. The Manipuri, who played his youth football at Tata Football Academy, has represented India at the youth and senior levels. Last season, he played 8 matches for the Red and Gold Brigade.

Anthony Pilkington:

The 33-year-old attacking midfielder has signed for Fleetwood Town FC, a third-tier English club. The Irish spent his development years at Preston North End FC, Manchester United FC, and Blackburn Rovers FC. He has played 75 matches in the Premier League for Norwich City FC.

Pilkington scored 3 goals and made 3 assists in 17 matches last season. In addition, defensively, he made 38 tackles and 12 blocks.

Jacques Maghoma:

The 34-year-old midfielder has signed for Spalding United FC, a seventh-tier English club. The Congolese played 19 matches last season, in which he scored 3 goals and made an assist.

The former Tottenham Hotspurs academy player has played for Sheffield Wednesday FC and Birmingham City FC in the Championship, second division English league.

Bright Enobakhare:

The 23-year-old forward was signed by Coventry City FC, a second-tier English club, however the contract was mutually cancelled. Previously, the Nigerian joined SC East Bengal in the 2021 January transfer window and went on to score 3 goals in 12 appearances.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers academy product played his role in Wolves' promotion to the Premier League. However, he didn’t get a chance to make his debut in the Premier League.

Related tags:

2021-2022