Five U-23 players to watch out for in the 2019/20 ISL season

#1 Daniel Lalhlimpuia - Odisha FC

Daniel Lalhlimpuia representing Delhi Dynamos FC, who have now shifted to Odisha

Daniel Lalhlimpuia ranked as the number one U-23 player to watch out for stands as a testament to two things. One, his prodigious talent. Two, just like centre-backs, India have struggled to find quality strikers and this is where Daniel comes into the picture.

Unlike the others in this list, the 22-year-old is no stranger to the ISL. He made his debut for Chennaiyin FC in 2016 itself and thus one wouldn't be wrong to expect the striker to finally announce himself in a way that befits his ability.

No one has ever doubted his potential. In fact, former Chennaiyin FC manager Marco Materazzi was someone who had predicted a bright future for Daniel Lalhlimpuia. However, his performances have been inconsistent and that has frustrated many an Indian football fan. In fact, few even feared that he could lose his way like another prodigious talent in the form of Uttam Rai.

Yet, it was his good performances in the back-end of the last season which has once again given rise to expectations that Daniel could yet fulfil his potential. Having scored four goals in the previous season including a brace against eventual champions Bengaluru FC, the youngster will at the very least look to double his tally this time. Odisha FC manager Josep Gombau will also have big expectations from the man who would be expected to lead the line for his team in this upcoming season.

Honourable mentions - Deepak Tangri (Chennaiyin FC), Ninthoiganba Meetei (Northeast United), Gaurav Bora (Odisha FC) and Suresh Singh Wangjam (Bengaluru FC)