Promising left-back Sanjeev Stalin recently joined Kerala Blasters FC on a three-year deal and he was congratulated by FIFA World Cup winner and FC Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard. Stalin, who has the same agent as Pavard, was congratulated by the Frenchman on Instagram after the Blasters announced that they had secured the services of the highly rated Indian left-back.

While sharing Kerala Blasters FC's Instagram post that announced the acquisition of Stalin as their latest recruit, Pavard recently posted a congratulatory message, which read: "Congrats Sanjeev Stalin! Keep on working hard and dream big bro!"

The 20-year-old full-back has already gained a lot of experience in his still nascent career and is sure to add value to the Blasters’ squad. A two-footed full-back who is comfortable on both flanks, Stalin was a part of India’s U-17 team for the U-17 World Cup in 2017 and started all three group-stage games in the tournament.

He began his professional career with the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) developmental side Indian Arrows in 2017 and was a part of the set-up till 2020. After the Indian Arrows, the defender signed for Portuguese top-tier club CD Aves at the beginning of last year. He earned valuable experience in Portugal, playing for CD Aves’ U-19 and U-23 teams before moving to Portuguese third division club Sertanense.

Now back in India following learning experiences abroad, Stalin will be looking to show how much he’s honed his skills over the last year. His decision to join the Blasters means that he will have competition for places in the full-back spots with the likes of Sandeep Singh and Nishu Kumar. Just like every challenge and opportunity that he’s got so far, Stalin’s certain to relish his time with the Blasters and work hard to achieve his goals as advised by his friend Pavard.