ISL 2020/21: 3 Australian players to watch out for this season

With the transfer window having slammed shut on the Indian Super League (ISL), most clubs have more or less completed their business for the season with several signings for their respective clubs.

However, what has been interesting in the context of the 2020-21 season has been the influx of Australian players. With the overseas AFC player mandate for all clubs in the ISL, it would seem as though most managers have turned to Australia to find their players.

We look at a few footballers from 'Down Under' to watch out for this season.

1) David Williams (ATK Mohun Bagan)

On the back of a few impressive performances with Wellington Phoenix in the A-League, 32-year-old David Williams was recruited by ATK for the 2019-20 season. The former Australia international had a terrific outing in his debut season in the ISL as he managed a total of 7 goals from 18 appearances for the club last season, a feat that would help his side secure the ISL title.

This time around, with the amalgamation of ATK and Mohun Bagan to ATK Mohun Bagan, Williams is not the only Australian in the squad with former Crystal Palace midfielder Bradden Inman also finding himself in the squad. Needless to say, coach Antonio Lopez Habas will be hoping that Williams can come good as he did the previous season of the ISL.

2) Erik Paartalu (Bengaluru FC)

Having signed with Bengaluru FC at the start of the 2017 ISL campaign, 34-year-old Erik Paartalu has been a mainstay in the Bengaluru FC midfield along with Spaniard Dimas Delgado. In fact, such has been the impact of Paartalu's presence in midfield that he ended the 2019-20 season with 5 assists to his name, the highest among his teammates in Bengaluru FC.

In the context of the 2020-21 season, Paartalu will once again be an important part of the team's midfield unit along with Delgado and Suresh Singh Wangjam. The arrival of Norwegian Kristian Ospeth is also a positive ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Super League.

3) Scott Neville (SC East Bengal)

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Australian defender Scott Neville was the first signing made by SC East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler. The 28-year-old was signed on loan from A-League outfit Brisbane Roar after he extended his contract with the club and is expected to be an important part of East Bengal's defensive unit.

Neville was usually deployed as a right full-back with Brisbane Roar in the A-League. However, on paper, it would seem as though he will be partnered alongside Danny Fox in central-defense with Rino Anto and Keegan Periera occupying the right and left full-back spots respectively.

Edited by Ritwik Kumar