Jamshedpur FC have acquired the services of defender Provat Lakra from NorthEast United FC for one year ahead of the upcoming season. The full-back, who can ply his trade on both flanks, will be one of the key players in defence for the Men of Steel.
The 25-year-old played a vital role for NorthEast United after joining them in 2018. He made a total of 36 appearances before being snapped up by Jamshedpur this season. Lakra will provide some much-needed versatility to manager Scott Cooper's side.
After completing the formalities, Lakra said:
“It’s a real dream for me to play at Jamshedpur FC. The club has promoted young players from the beginning with the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and senior players and TFA graduates like Pronay Halder are already here to help the younger players."
He added:
"I’m sure that with the help of the coaching staff and the team, I can really help the club do well this season and we can get back to winning trophies.”
"Lakra fills the profile of players we are interested in" - Jamshedpur FC manager
New Jamshedput manager Scott Cooper was extremely excited about Lakra's arrival at the club. He said:
“Provat is an excellent capture for us. At 25 years, he is an ideal age and a player who is capable of playing both full-back positions and has valuable ISL experience already."
The Englishman added:
“He played almost every game for NorthEast and was a vital part of that team. We feel that Provat fits our profile of players that we are interested in. He is technical and has good speed, his recovery is very good and he has great crossing abilities along with a great attitude.”
Born in Kalyani, West Bengal, Lakra is a product of United SC at the youth level. He made a name for himself with Southern Samity in the I-League second division and later on loan with Gokulam Kerala in the I-League.
Lakra eventually made the big switch to the Indian Super League when he was signed up by NorthEast United in 2018. He played a big part for the Highlanders up till last season and having made the move to the JRD Tata Sports Complex, fans can expect him to continue his rise to the top.