ISL: Jackichand Singh will have a lot of expectations at SC East Bengal this season

Jackichand Singh has been an alarming name for defenders ever since he made a mark in the I-League way back in 2015. His partnership with Seityasen Singh at Royal Wahingdoh was one to cherish. The midfielder since then has become an important name in the football vertical of India. 

The summer transfer window of the 2021-22 season saw the return of Jackichand Singh to his former club for whom he plied his trade in the starting months of the 2017 calendar year. His transfer to SC East Bengal is quite similar to what happened about four years back as this time too, he has been signed on a loan deal from Mumbai City FC by the Kolkata giants. 

The eighth edition of the Indian Super League will be a vital season for Jackichand Singh as he'll have a lot to prove.

Jackichand Singh has something to prove to his current club (SC East Bengal). Last time out, back in 2017, he appeared in just seven matches for the Red and Golds. Even though he possessed such brilliant skills and quality, the then coach Trevor James Morgan perhaps failed to use the Manipuri winger properly. This time out, it is expected that Jackichand will be starting in most of the matches for the Red and Golds mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, he has already appeared in all the three practice games of SC East Bengal; against Vasco SC, Salgaocar FC and Gokulam Kerala FC. Secondly, he is one of the senior footballers of the team and is the most suitable for the club in the position he plays in.

Jackichand's second challenge would be to impress the gaffer of Mumbai City FC, Des Buckingham, who has recently replaced Sergio Lobera at the Islanders. Mumbai City FC have qualified for the AFC Champions League and after Jackichand's loan stint ends at SC East Bengal, if the club doesn't get him on a permanent transfer, he will return to his former club and will probably be eager to get a place in the starting eleven in the AFC Champions League. Hence, how he performs at SC East Bengal will be of immense importance to the player himself.

The 29-year-old played 18 matches last season, both for Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC.

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