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With less than a week left for the fifth season of the Indian Super League to kick-off, the preparations are in full swing. With quite a few big signings, this season promises to be a cracker.
The league will be played across five to six months and will have a few International breaks in between.
The first match will be played between two-time champions ATK and Kerala Blasters FC on September 29 at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata.
Let us have a look at 5 defenders to watch out for in the upcoming ISL season.
#5 Gianni Zuiverloon (Delhi Dynamos FC)
The Dutchman can prove to be one of the most effective signings in the Indian Super League.
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The right-back has played top flight football in countries like Netherlands, England and Spain. The signing will aid Delhi Dynamos FC’s quest for their maiden title in five years.
Mainly comprised of Indian players, Zuiverloon will play an important role at the back for the Delhi based outfit.
Starting his senior career with Dutch giants Feyenoord, he moved to Sportclub Heerenveen and subsequently to West Bromwich Albion.
In 2003, he returned to the Eredivisie and joined ADO Den Haag where he played till 2016. After playing a couple of years in the Spanish second division, Gianni finally signed for Delhi Dynamos FC ahead of the 2018-19 seasons.
#4 Matt Mills (FC Pune City)
Matthew Mills will be playing in the Indian Premier League for the first time, but the former Southampton player will bring loads of experience with him to the FC Pune City squad.
The centre-back enjoyed several stints with English clubs like Reading, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forrest.
Along with Uruguayan stopper Martin Diaz, the Englishman will form a lethal pair at the back which will be pretty hard to pierce by the opponents.
The ‘Oranje Army’ has been a unit which has played positive football but somehow managed not to qualify for the knockout stages in first three seasons of the Indian Super League, but made it to the last four in the previous year.
They were eliminated by Bengaluru FC in the semi-finals by 1-3 aggregate. With Marcelinho and Iain Hume in the attack, Jonathan Villa in the midfield, defenders like Matt Mills and Martin Diaz at the back, this could be FC Pune City’s year.
#3 Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters FC)
It was in the first season of the Indian Super League that the defender from Chandigarh became a household name.
The stylish footballer became an overnight sensation and a National team berth was inevitable, making his senior International debut soon after that.
Jhingan has emerged as a player in the past few years, making him India’s best stopper in recent times.
The Kerala Blasters’ skipper will be eager to prove himself once again in the glamorous league, especially with the captain’s armband.
Kerala Blasters FC has been performing well in the past four years, finishing as the runners-up on two occasions.
Jhingan has been there with the team throughout its journey, standing tall at the heart of the defence.
He is the most capped player for the Kerala based club with 59 appearances. Standing at a height of 6 feet 2 inches, Jhingan is a calm and composed footballer with nerves of steel, which makes him such an important member of the squad.
#2 Mailson Alves (Chennaiyin FC)
Not only does he make the backline compact, but he also scores at crucial situations which often makes the difference.
The goal scoring knack was evident when he scored a brace in the 3-2 win in the final of the Indian Super League last year against Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to guide Chennayin FC to its second title.
He was retained by the Abhishek Bachchan owned team for a consecutive year after his good display in the 2017-18 editions.
After stints with a couple of Portuguese clubs and then in his homeland, the Brazilian made his ISL debut for Chennaiyin FC in 2015.
Following that season, he was roped in by North East United FC in 2016, but he played only nine matches for the ‘Highlanders.’ It was during his second spell with Chennaiyin FC that he established himself as an important player in the Indian Super League.
#1 Andre Bikey (ATK)
After being sidelined for most of the season in his first two editions in the Indian Super League, the Cameroonian defender finally made an impact in the previous year for Jamshedpur FC.
The former English Premier League player shares a formidable partnership with ATK coach Steve Coppell which is an added advantage for the unit.
This is Bikey’s third year in the Indian football circuit, so has quite a fair idea about the competition which will come in handy during the campaign.
Unfortunately, ATK conceded a total of 30 goals in the last in the 2017/18 season, the second most by any team.
Bikey’s presence at the heart of the defence will definitely help them this year. The solidly built foreign recruit is an obstacle for any attacking unit, which makes him such an important member of the squad.
