East Bengal has announced the signing of defender Nishu Kumar on a season-long loan deal from Kerala Blasters FC. This is their third signing after they confirmed the arrival of Borja Herrera and Nandhakumar Sekar earlier.
Nishu won the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) title with Bengaluru FC (BFC) in the 2018-19 season under current Emami East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat. He was also part of the KBFC squad that finished runners-up in the 2021-22 Hero ISL. An ambipedal full-back, Nishu has the rare ability to operate on both sides of the pitch. Overall, in his 82 Hero ISL matches so far, Nishu has racked up 3 goals, 2 assists, 82 interceptions and 189 clearances.
“It’s a matter of great pride for me to join an iconic institution like East Bengal. This club has a huge fan base, which is always a great motivation for a player to give his best. I am also thrilled to reunite with Coach Carles, who groomed me in my formative years at BFC. We will be playing a lot of matches in the upcoming season and I will give my best in every match and try to bring joy to our fans that they truly deserve.” Said Nishu.
Coach Carles, during whose association with BFC Nishu won a Federation Cup title (2017), a Hero Super Cup title (2018) and a Hero ISL title, praised the young defender’s versatility and work ethic. The experienced Spanish coach said, “Nishu is a very talented and hardworking player. He has ample ISL experience under his belt, having won the league in 2019 and reached another final in 2022. It was while playing under me that he got selected for the Indian national team. He is someone who always gives his best effort on the pitch.”
Commenting on Nishu’s move to Emami East Bengal, Mr Debabrata Mukherjee of Emami Group said, “Nishu’s quality, experience and versatility make him a fantastic addition to our squad. He has already won the ISL title playing under Coach Carles and we are looking forward to seeing the very best of Nishu in East Bengal colours.”
