Football
Santosh Trophy: Top 5 players who could be picked by ISL clubs
Turning heads with their performance at the Santosh Trophy 2022, these young footballers grabbed attention and are steady favourites to be picked by ISL clubs next.
Kerala's Jijo Joseph (left) and West Bengal's Fardin Ali Molla
The 75th Edition of the Santosh Trophy came to a climactic end as Kerala beat West Bengal 5-4 on penalties to get their hands on their seventh trophy. The teams were tied 0-0 at the end of regulation time. However, Dilip Oraon gave Bengal the lead in the 96th minute but Kerala restored parity soon after in the 117th minute.
The Santosh Trophy has been a powerhouse for young talent all over the country and consequently, the youngsters have garnered quite a lot of interest from the top Indian Super League and I-League clubs. However, as talented and impressive as all of them were, some players outshone the others with their skills and application.
Here's our thoughts on the top five players who have impressed us the most.
1. Jijo Joseph (Midfielder, Kerala)
Being awarded the Player of the Tournament for the 75th edition of the Santosh Trophy, it is fair to say that Jijo Joseph has caught the eye of the scouts and football enthusiasts all over the country.
The SBI-midfielder has been at the heart of the Kerala attack and even has five goals to his name with his hat-trick against Rajasthan and a brace against Punjab. Jijo's striking feature was his consistency throughout the campaign and consequently the 29-year old garnered a lot of interest from the top-tier Indian Super League teams. Clubs like East Bengal, Chennaiyin FC and Jamshedpur FC are set to be in the race to sign the midfielder to bolster their squad.
2. Jesin TK (Forward, Kerala)
The youngster became an overnight sensation, scoring five goals in 30 minutes right after being brought on in Kerala's sensational 7-3 win against Karnataka.
Jesin ended the campaign as the top scorer with nine goals. The Kerala United forward has been quite the centre of conversation ever since.
The youngster has attracted a lot of scouts and teams like FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC are said to be interested in bringing him in, however, the forward claimed to stay focused on his team, for now.
3. Fardin Ali Molla (Forward, West Bengal)
The 20-year-old forward has been arguably the best player for West Bengal in their Santosh Trophy campaign. Being the second-highest goal scorer of the tournament with eight goals, Fardin kept the defenders on their toes while testing the goalkeepers at the same time.
The ATK Mohun Bagan forward has caught quite the attention of the gaffer, Juan Ferrando. We expect him to be handed his first playing XI appearance soon enough.
The midfielder has been the talk of the town for quite some time. With an unbelievable Calcutta Football League performance, Mahitosh was offered a pre-contract by East Bengal earlier. The midfielder has been pivotal in the West Bengal midfield and Mahitosh's brace against Meghalaya earned him a Player of The Match award.
The forward has been crucial for the West Bengal campaign. Scoring some of the most crucial goals in the most important times. Dilip had scored in the semifinals against Manipur to seal the victory while he scored in the final to give West Bengal the lead in extra time after the teams were tied in the regular time.
Along with them, West Bengal custodian Priyant Singh had an eye-catching stint as well. The keeper was awarded the best goalkeeper of the tournament for his crucial saves keeping his side alive till the final minute of the tournament.
