Bengaluru: Former Indian Super League (ISL) champions Bengaluru FC have announced the signing of the I-League 2021 top scorer Bidyashagar Singh from TRAU FC on Monday on a three-year contract.
“Signing for Bengaluru FC is like a dream come true for me. Now that I am here, I want to achieve more for the club and for myself. I am eager to improve and to contribute to helping this team to continue the winning legacy that it has established,” said Bidyashagar, after putting pen to paper on his deal.
“I know that I am surrounded by so many great players like Sunil bhai and Gurpreet bhai, and I want to learn from them and develop further.” The 23-year-old Manipuri attacker came through TRAU’s youth system before joined East Bengal in 2016. He put himself to be noticed when he bolstered East Bengal to the final of the 2016-17 U-18 I-League scoring six goals, including in both semifinals and final.
Following his great season with the junior side, Bidyashagar was promoted to the senior team and made his mark in the 2019 Durand Cup scoring a brace against the Blues itself. “The opportunity to play for Bengaluru FC has arrived at the right time for me. Being in good form is very important for a striker and I would like to continue my good run here,” he added.
INCOMING! 🔥 The Blues have acquired the services of 23-year-old striker Bidyashagar Singh, who finished top of the goalscoring charts in the 2020-21 I-League. #WeAreBFC #WelcomeBidya 🔵 pic.twitter.com/OtTazYtv2d
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) July 28, 2021
“My aim is to win trophies and to wear this club’s jersey with pride. I also want to do well here so that I can make it into our national team,” said Bidyashagar. He became only the second Indian to pick up the I-League Golden Boot last season as well as the fourth Indian to finish top scorer of a National League after Bhaichung Bhutia, Raman Vijayan and the Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri.
Bidyashagar was also named the ‘Hero of the Season’ and found a place in the I-League ‘Team of the Season’ after he scored 12 goals including two hat-tricks taking TRAU to a title challenge until the final match-day of the season.
Bengaluru head coach Marco Pizzaiuoli was all in praise for the attacker. “Bidyashagar is a young player with a lot of potentials. He is very eager to learn and take the next step and in the short time that he has been with us, he has shown us that he has the ability to score goals.
“The important thing now is to make sure he can bring his quality into our team and do that in the Indian Super League. He can play as a striker, as a winger and in behind the striker, which gives us a lot of options in attack,” he said.
Bidyashagar is the eighth signing of the Blues this season as they look forward to strengthen their squad for the upcoming ISL season. He has already joined the pre-season training in Bellary, ahead of the AFC Cup playoff clash against Eagles FC in the Maldives.
