Football
AFC Cup 2022: Rishad's rise as the lynchpin of Gokulam Kerala FC
Being a proper box to box midfielder, Rishad's power lies in his versatility. He possesses a huge work rate and pairs up perfectly with his teammates.
Rishad PP
Gokulam Kerala FC has been one of the most successful sides in recent years. Winning back to back I-League, toppling some of the biggest club football giants, Vincenzo Alberto Annese's side have made their presence turn heads.
However, coach Vincenzo Alberto attributed the reason for this success to the availability of a perfect ratio of young contingent to that of the experienced ones. The young contingent brings in a lot of agility and pace to the team while experienced players take on the workload. 26-year-old Rishad PP is the prime example of Gokulam Kerala FC's able youth.
Hailing from Malappuram itself, local lad Rishad started his career with the SAT Tirur Academy and went to Liverpool-collaborated DSK Shivajians Academy. Rishad has also spent a considerable amount of time with Mumbai U-19 outfit. Rishad had plied his trade for Delhi United FC in the 2nd Division I-League. The Malabarian has also represented Kerala in the Santosh Trophy.
Being a proper box to box midfielder, Rishad's power lies in his versatility. The midfielder possesses a huge work rate and pairs up perfectly with Shariff and Emil Benny in making the most pivotal midfield trio. Rishad who has mostly been a silent warrior for the Malabarians, has come out to be one of the most crucial players. Apart from holding on to the possession and working the transitions, Rishad scored the opening goal for the Malabarians against Mohammedan Sporting SC in the ultimate title deciding affair of I-League 2022. Interestingly, a young Rishad also scored his first AFC goal giving Gokulam Kerala FC a lead against ATK Mohun Bagan.
While Luka Majcen, Jourdaine Fletcher have shook the scoring charts for Gokulam Kerala FC, Rishad PP has been one of the solemn reasons for the creativity in the field along with another Gokulam Kerala youngster Emil Benny.
Gokulam Kerala will be seen in action once again, as the Malabarians soaring high from their win against ATK Mohun Bagan will look to keep their momentum as they take on cross-border rivals Bashundhara Kings on May 21.
