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Marquee players have been an integral part of India's premier footballing competition - the Indian Super League (ISL) since its inception.
The ISL outfits battle it out in the off-season to land players with international repute who, in their prime, were considered superstars of the game. Besides lighting up the season with solid displays, their mere presence would help build attendances and fanfare throughout the league.
With the league's rapid growth and ever-improving competitiveness, several established Premier League stars and younger European starlets have also found their way into the teams this year.
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Without further ado, here are the top 5 marquee players of ISL 2020-21:
#5 Steven Taylor (Odisha FC)
Steven Taylor is the only defender on this list and comes with a wealth of experience in Europe and Asia-Oceania. The Greenwich-born defender rose through Newcastle United's academy and made 268 appearances for the Magpies, of which 215 came in the Premier League.
An exceptional defender during his prime, Taylor was touted to be John Terry's successor when the iconic Chelsea skipper was linked with a move to the blue half of Manchester in the summer of 2009. He also has an impressive goal tally for a defender, scoring 15 goals and was always one of the first names on the team sheet, irrespective of managers during his 13-year long stay at St. James Park.
The former England U-21 mainstay had a year-long spell in MLS with Portland Timbers before returning to England to join Ipswich Town and later Peterborough United. Taylor departed for the A-League in the summer of 2018 to ply his trade for Wellington Phoenix. He has arrived at the ISL after leading Phoenix to a third-place finish in the 2019-20 A-League.
The 34-year-old was announced as OFC's skipper upon his arrival, which is a welcome boost to a relatively young and inexperienced side. The towering defensive lynchpin will be tasked with solidifying and marshalling a defense that conceded a lot of goals last term.
#4 Gary Hooper (Kerala Blasters)
Kerala Blasters pulled off somewhat of a coup when they signed Gary Hooper for a one-year deal for a whopping Rs. 9.99 crores. It has made him the most valuable player in the ISL this season.
Already considered as one of the biggest acquisitions in the history of the league, Hooper is a proven goal-scorer with an impressive track record.
The Tottenham Hotspur academy product made a name for himself at Scottish giants Celtic. During his 3-year stay in Scotland, he plundered 82 goals and 30 assists and also featured for the Hoops in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. He starred in Celtic's domestic double-winning campaign in 2012-13 with a personal best return of 31 goals.
Hooper has not been able to score at the same rate since leaving Celtic. He last played for A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix, helping the club finish third, scoring nine goals.
A tireless runner during his heyday, Hooper became more of a penalty-box striker since his switch to the SFL. With a combination of strength, pace, finishing, and awareness, the 32-year-old is one of the few classic number 9s in ISL this season. Hooper will be a genuine goal threat upfront and is expected to thrive in a young Blasters side, adding the necessary mix of experience and footballing expertise.
#3 Hugo Boumous (Mumbai City FC)
Hugo Boumous needs little to no introduction to the Indian football faithful, having won last season’s Player of the Year award after registering 11 goals and 10 assists in just 14 appearances for FC Goa. He set the ISL on fire last season, scoring or assisting a goal every 56 minutes. The Rennes-born attacking midfielder has been a standout performer in the ISL since his move to The Gaurs in 2018.
Boumous is renowned for his directness and balance. When on song, he holds the ball, makes those bursting runs through the middle, and rips defenses apart for fun all of which make him an exciting player to watch. And at only 25 years, he’s just hitting his peak.
This season, he reunites with the man who brought him to India - Sergio Lobera. Boumous will also have former teammate Ahmed Jahouh for company in the middle of the park as he leads Mumbai's charge this season.
#2 Adam le Fondre (Mumbai City FC)
Adam le Fondre is the most imposing of a whole host of high-profile names roped in by the Islanders. The English striker comes into the ISL on the back of two exceptional scoring seasons in Australia.
The 33-year-old powered Sydney FC to two championships and a premiership, finding the back of the net 45 times in 67 outings. He is an ultimate penalty-box predator with an intelligent off-the-ball movement and has a knack to find spaces in areas where there shouldn’t be any.
Le Fondre will be Lobera's trump card in attack along with the equally proficient Bartholomew Ogbeche. With guaranteed uninterrupted supply from Boumous and Ahmed Jahouh, the pair will surely battle it out for the coveted ISL Golden Boot.
#1 Roy Krishna (ATK Mohun Bagan)
The Fijian turned the City of Joy into ‘City of Roy’ with his goal-scoring exploits in the previous campaign. Roy Krishna steered ATK to their third ISL title, scoring 15 goals and creating a further six in 21 outings.
A scorer of over 100 goals in the A-League, Krishna has also netted 29 goals in 40 games for Fiji at the international level. The pacy forward came to the ISL on the back of a stellar 2018-19 campaign for A-League side Wellington Phoenix. That season's heroics awarded him the Golden Boot and the prestigious Johnny Warren Medal for being the league's best player.
He has a phenomenal goal-conversion rate, which is a testament to him being the league’s purest finisher. He is a total utility player who can pull wide or drop deep as the situation demands and be just as effective.
The red-hot striker has picked up from where he left off as he scored the opening goal of ISL 2020-21 that sealed a win against Kerala Blasters and got ATK Mohun Bagan off to a flying start.
