Odisha FC have revealed their full squad for the seventh season of Indian Super League (ISL) and they have undergone a massive overhaul.
Formerly known as the Delhi Dynamos, Odisha FC underwent a rebranding last season after shifting to Odisha from Delhi. They endured a disappointing campaign last term as they finished sixth with only seven wins in their 18 league outings.
The Bhubaneswar-based club was thus one of the busiest teams in the transfer market since Englishman Stuart Baxter took over the reins from Josep Gombau as the head coach.
Odisha FC's biggest acquisition was Marcelo Pereira, fondly known as Marcelinho. The mercurial Brazilian, who has a magical left foot, first arrived in India with Delhi Dynamos before moving to Hyderabad two seasons ago. Marcelinho will be playing in his fifth ISL campaign and is the third-most successful striker in the league with 31 goals and 18 assists.
Spaniard Manuel Onwu was retained by the Odisha hierarchy, extending his contract by a year. A third foreign striker has been added to the squad in the form of Brazilian Diego Mauricio.
Steven Taylor is another high-profile name roped in by Odisha FC. The former Newcastle United defensive lynchpin was also named as their skipper for the upcoming season. Fellow newbie Australian defender Jacob Tratt will share the defensive duties with the veteran.
Odisha FC will begin their quest for an elusive play-off berth when they take on Hyderabad FC on November 23 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim.
Odisha FC full squad
Goalkeepers: Kamaljit Singh, Ravi Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Ankit Bhuyan
Defenders: Steven Taylor, Jacob Tratt, Shubham Sarangi, Gaurav Bora, Hendry Antonay, Kamalpreet Singh, George D'Souza, Mohammad Dhot, Saurabh Meher
Midfielders: Cole Alexander, Nandhakumar Sekar, Paul Ramfangzauva, Samuel Lalmuanpuia, Vinit Rai, Thoiba Singh, Isak Vanlalruatfela, Jerry Mawihmingthana, Boaringdao Bodo, Lahrezuala Sailung
Forwards: Marcelo Pereira, Manuel Onwu, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Diego Mauricio, Laishram Singh.