Ranking signings from the A-League (Bottom 7)
Two signings from the A-League, Roy Krishna and David Williams took the Indian Super League by storm last season as the striker duo led ATK to their third ISL title.
With the rule of signing an overseas player from an AFC-affiliated country coming into play from the 2020-21 ISL season, almost every Indian Super League club has been raiding players from the A-League.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, professional football leagues across Australia have been postponed indefinitely including the top tier, the A-League. This unpredictable situation has made signing the top players across the league easier for the clubs in India.
Let’s have a look at the bottom 7 of the 14 players making the journey from A-League to the Indian Super League.
#14 Nicholas Fitzgerald (Jamshedpur FC)
Photo: Twitter
Jamshedpur FC’s new winger has played for many A-League clubs like Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne City FC, Brisbane Roar, Newcastle United Jets, and Western Sydney Wanderers over the last decade.
The 28-year old has 32 goal contributions in 188 A-League matches and should be looking to improve on that record in India.
#13 Jordan Murray (Kerala Blasters FC)
Jordan Murray has been signed as an understudy for Gary Hooper and it would be surprising if he starts at the ISL club week in week out given the quality of their first six overseas signings.
Murray scored 7 goals and assisted 4 more in his first two seasons with the Central Coast Mariners.
#12 Joel Chianese (Hyderabad FC)
Photo: Perth Glory
The 30-year old winger is the marquee signing for Hyderabad FC is the only non-Spanish overseas player in the squad and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to his new surroundings.
The Australian forward’s stats are a bit underwhelming as he has contributed to 36 goals, scoring 25 and assisting 11 in 131 A-League matches.
#11 Aaron Amadi-Holloway (SC East Bengal)
The Welsh striker has been roped in by SC East Bengal and what a coup it is from the latest entrant in the league. The 27-year old centre-forward is entering his prime and would be expected to be more prolific in the ISL with his stats in the A-League a bit underwhelming.
#10 Scott Neville (SC East Bengal)
Photo: Perth Glory
The 31-year old right-back has spent the entirety of his senior career in Australia playing for clubs like Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers, and Brisbane Roar.
Neville would be looking to reunite with manager Robbie Fowler at SC East Bengal and the fans would be happy if the pair could muster up a repeat of the playoff position from the last season with Brisbane Roar FC.
#9 Jacob Tratt (Odisha FC)
Like Scott Neville, Jacob Tratt has also spent the entirety of his professional football career in Australia. Tratt was part of the Perth Glory squad that lost to eventual champions Sydney FC in the semi-final of the A-League finals series.
The 26-year old plays in the centre of the defense and would be partnering the experienced Steven Taylor for Odisha FC in the 2020-21 ISL season.
#8 Dylan Fox (NorthEast United FC)
Photo: Twitter
Having spent the majority of his senior career at Wellington Pheonix, the 26-year old centre-back makes his way to NorthEast United after spending a solitary season with Central Coast Mariners.
Fox was runner-up to Roy Krishna in the ‘Player of the Year’ award at Wellington Pheonix in the 2017-18 season and also bagged the ‘U-23 Player of the Year’ at the club in 2016.
