Shillong, Aug 7: Rakesh Pradhan has made the switch from Shillong Lajong to Indian Super League side NorthEast United, the latter announced yesterday,
The defender made 31 appearances for Lajong in the I-League, including a start in all 18 matches of the 2017-18 season; he was on the pitch that year more than any of his team mates, racking up nearly 1,600 minutes. He has also scored one I-League goal and one in the Super Cup for SLFC.
The Assam-born winger has a tenacious spirit and strong left foot and will join former Lajong team mates and Meghalaya duo Redeem Tlang and Rupert Nongrum at NorthEast United. Also joining them is Sikkim’s Nim Dorjee Tamang, whose signing was made public on 1st August.
Tamang was SLFC captain in 2016-17 and made 45 I-League appearances in all for Lajong before heading off to FC Pune City in 2017 after which little has been seen of the centre-back.
On the same day that Pradhan’s announcement was made, NorthEast United also revealed that Croatian Robert Jarni has been appointed as head coach for 2019-20. The Guwahati-based side were looking for a replacement for Eelco Schattorie, who headed over to Kerala Blasters after leading the Highlanders to the playoffs in the ISL last season. Jarni, like Indian national coach Igor Stamic, was part of the Croatian national team that came third in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He turned to coaching in 2007.
(TSR file photo)
