Indian footballer (born 2001)
Nihal Sudeesh (born 18 June 2001) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters .[1]
Career
Early life and career
Nihal was born in Kochi , Kerala on 18 June 2001.[2] Nihal joined the reserve squad of the Kerala Blasters FC in 2019 and represented the side in the 2019–20 I-League 2nd Division season before leaving the club for the Durand Cup side Indian Navy in 2021.[3] After quitting his job at Indian Navy ,[3] Nihal signed again for the Blasters' B team, where his performance in the 2022 Reliance Foundation Development League and in the 2022 Next Gen Cup earned him a promotion to the senior squad of the Kerala Blasters.[4] [5]
Kerala Blasters FC
2022–23: Debut season
In 2022, Nihal was included in the Kerala Blasters squad for the 2022–23 Indian Super League season.[6] He was one among the seven native players for the club for the season.[7] Nihal made his debut for the Blasters senior team in the Indian Super League on 23 October 2022 against Odisha FC by coming in as a substitute for Hormipam Ruivah in the 64th minute,[8] but the Blasters lost the match 2–1 at full-time. [9] He remained as an unused substitute for two months, and made his second appearance on 26 December in the returning fixture against Odisha as a substitute for Rahul KP in the 70th minute, which the Blasters won 1–0.[10] Nihal was acclaimed by the media and fans for his short-performance against Odisha.[11]
2023–24: Contract extension
After an impressive debut season, Nihal signed a thee-year contract extension with the Blasters till 2026.[12] He played his first match of the 2023–24 season on 13 August 2023 against Gokulam Kerala FC in the 2023 Durand Cup , which they lost by the score of 3–4 at full-time.[13]
Career statistics
As of 16 August 2023 [14]
References
^ "❝ആ സ്ഥാനം നേടാൻ എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച പ്രകടനം നടത്തണം❞ : കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ് യുവ താരം നിഹാൽ സുധീഷ്" . Goal Malayalam Sports (in Malayalam). 6 October 2022. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022 .
^ "Nihal Sudeesh Stats, News, Bio" . ESPN . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ a b Santhosh, Aswathy (6 October 2022). "Separated, then reunited- Nihal Sudeesh and his love story with Kerala Blasters" . thebridge.in . Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ "Nihal Sudeesh profile - Goals, Passes and more" . Indian Super League . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ Guha, Sayantan. " "Can't share in words how much I love this club" - Kerala Blasters FC's eternal fan and hottest prospect Nihal Sudeesh" . www.sportskeeda.com . Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023 .
^ Rayan, Stan (5 October 2022). "Jessel Carneiro to lead Kerala Blasters in new ISL season" . sportstar.thehindu.com . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ "7 Malayalis in Kerala Blasters' 28-member squad for ISL 2022-23" . OnManorama . Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ Ra, Anantaajith. "Odisha FC 2-1 Kerala Blasters FC: Player Ratings as Pedro Martin seals comeback win for Juggernauts | ISL 2022-23" . www.sportskeeda.com . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ Sportstar, Team (23 October 2022). "ISL 2022-23: Odisha FC wins it late against Kerala Blasters" . sportstar.thehindu.com . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ "ISL 2022-23: Kerala Blasters FC Jump To Third Place After Sandeep Singh's Late Strike" . Outlook . 26 December 2022. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
^ "നിഹാല് സുധീഷ്; കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സിന്റെ പുതിയ വജ്രായുധം..." Samayam Malayalam (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023 .
^ "Midfielder Nihal Sudeesh pens contract extension with Kerala Blasters FC till 2026" . Indian Super League . Retrieved 12 May 2023 .
^ "Kerala Blasters 3-4 Gokulam Kerala Highlights: GKFC beats KBFC to win Kerala Derby in Durand Cup 2023" . Sportstar . 13 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023 .
^ "India - N. Sudheesh - Profile with news, career statistics and history" . Soccerway . Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023 .
External links