Indian senior national football team coach Stephen Constantine had predicted few debuts during the course of the Intercontinental Cup at Mumbai Football Arena. Subhasish Bose, who had a good season with Bengaluru FC, was the first debutant in the inaugural game against Chinese Taipei on June 1.
Bose later made the city home for at least two seasons by signing with Mumbai City FC ahead of the second match against Kenya. He went on to make second start for India after impressing Constantine in his debut game, in which the fullback played a part in keeping the Indian clean slate in both games.
The 22-year-old Subhasish had played a crucial part in Bengaluru FC’s run as left-back in the Indian Super League final and the Super Cup victory. He was also active in their AFC Cup campaign.
This is the Islanders’ newest recruit after they decided to retain seven players from last season’s squad. Sanju Pradhan, Amrinder Singh, Pranjal Bhumij, Davinder Singh and Kunal Sawant to have already signed extensions with the club, along with Lucian Goian and Sehnaj Singh, who have a year left on their current contracts.
“I am excited to be part of Mumbai City FC for the next two years. I have heard many good things about the club and am glad to be a part of it. Hopefully, we will be able to give the fans something to cheer about. Lucian Goian has been a great leader and defender in the league and I am looking forward to playing alongside and learning from him,” Subhasish said.
Indranil Das Blah, CEO, Mumbai City FC said, “We are glad to have acquired one of the best young footballers in India today. In just a few years, Subhasish has shown that he belongs with the best. He has an extremely promising career ahead of him.”
Subhasish started off at the Pune FC Academy and quickly came through the ranks, turning professional in 2014 when he joined Churchill Brothers on loan. He then signed for Sporting Goa in the I-League for the 2015-16 season and established himself as their first-choice defender. Mohun Bagan saw his potential and signed him up for their 2016-17 campaign. He became their primary left-back choice and played a key part in the side that finished runners-up in the I-league.
Youngsters in defence
Mumbai City who had a rather compact defence last season were not able to maintain consistency. They failed to qualify for playoffs mainly due to a limited strike force. They have retained the core of their defence this year in Lucian, Sehnaj and young Davinder. They have brought more youth into the defence. Besides, Subhasish, they have reportedly also signed India's U-17 World Cup defender Anwar Ali for a record-breaking transfer fee from I-League champions Minerva Punjab FC.
The defender, who was a part of the Indian squad at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, joins the ISL side for a transfer fee of '30 lakh, a record-breaking amount for a U-18 player. Anwar plied his trade with AIFF’s developmental side Indian Arrows last season in the I-League. He was on loan from Minerva Punjab and played a total of 15 matches in the I-League for Luis Norton de Matos’ side.
According to AIFF’s regulations, Anwar Ali is bound to play another season for the Indian Arrows side. This means that the defender will be playing in the I-League in the upcoming season and will only join the ISL club ahead of the 2019/20 season.
