ISL 2017: 5 star players who rejected ISL to play in I-League this season

The 2017-18 Indian Super League season will kickstart in earnest this November and teams have been preparing themselves for a shot at title glory in what promises to be the biggest ever ISL yet. With two new teams added to the roster and the competition expanded to five months, the 2017-18 ISL will be a new-look affair with new sets of players and coaches arriving on Indian shores.

That said, plenty of familiar faces will not be around this time when the ISL kicks in. While the likes of Diego Forlan, Didier Zokora and Helder Postiga will not be seen in the ISL this season, a few former ISL stars will instead line up for I-League clubs this season when the other top-flight league of Indian football starts at about the same time in mid-November.

Without further ado, let's take a look at five star ISL players who will play in the I-League 2017-18 instead.

#5 Eduardo Ferreira

Ex-Pune City defender Eduardo Ferreira will play for East Bengal this I-League season

The Equatoguinean centre-back played for FC Pune City last season and was one of their most impressive defenders. However, the Stallions finished a disappointing sixth, shipping 16 goals in the process and ending another season without making the playoffs.

Eduardo has joined East Bengal this season after a struggling spell at Mohun Bagan in the I-League last time out. The experienced defender will be a key cog in Khalid Jamil's team with Carlyle Mitchell currently out injured. According to sources, a couple of ISL clubs were in the hunt for the player but offered reduced terms that led to Eduardo rebuffing the ISL and settling for East Bengal.

#4 Arnab Mondal

Arnab Mondal is a big miss for the ISL this season

The two-time ISL champion with ATK will be leading East Bengal in the I-League this season and will be a major miss in the Indian Super League. The former ATK man is an experienced India international and would've slotted into any ISL club had he chosen not to stay put at East Bengal.

Mondal wasn't seen playing a lot as Khalid Jamil guided the Red and Golds to their eight straight Calcutta Football League title last month - as Gurwinder Singh and Carlyle Mitchell were stationed as the number one centre-back pairing - but he still holds the key to what could be a pivotal season in East Bengal's history. Mondal didn't even take part in the ISL domestic draft as he had already committed his future to the Red and Golds.

#3 Mohammed Rafique

Rafique is East Bengal's key midfielder this season

The man for the big occasions, Mohammed Rafique has featured in two ISL finals, winning one and losing the other. The 25-year-old from Kolkata, like Mondal, didn't fancy participating in the ISL domestic draft and ended up staying with East Bengal, leading them to the CFL title last month after a disappointing I-League and Federation Cup campaign last season.

The India regular is a busy presence in the centre of midfield and had he been part of the ISL draft, he would certainly have been picked up and have pocketed a handsome salary. That said, the ISL's loss is the I-League's gain and East Bengal fans will be able to witness one of India's midfield stars strutting his stuff in the I-League next season.

#2 Katsumi Yusa

Katsumi quickly endeared himself to the NorthEast fans last season

The Japanese midfielder is widely considered to be a legend in Indian football quarters because of his long stint in the country since joining ONGC in January 2011. The 5ft 6in midfield dynamo played for NorthEast United in ISL 2016 and quickly endeared himself to the partisan northeastern fans by scoring on his debut.

The 2014-15 I-League winner has decided to continue his tryst with India's other top-flight league but this time out, he has changed allegiances. The Mohun Bagan captain during the club's most recent I-League and Federation Cup successes, Yusa will play his trade at East Bengal this season, dashing any hopes of the NorthEast faithful to see the Japanese in their club's famous whites.

#1 Sony Norde

Norde will be seen donning the green and maroon jersey of Mohun Bagan instead of playing in the ISL

The Haitian attacker is a crowd favourite across India and was also offered big wages to play in the ISL last summer, but Mohun Bagan put all their eggs in one basket to land the superstar that is Sony Norde. Norde will even captain the Mariners in the upcoming I-League season, a pointer to the influence he wields at one of the oldest Indian clubs.

Norde played for Mumbai City FC last season but barely had minutes owing to the presence of star attackers like Forlan, Sunil Chhetri, Matias Defederico and Jackichand Singh. This season, ISL fans will no longer see the flying Haitian in action as he is all set to make hay in the less glamorous confines of the I-League.