Odisha FC complete signing of midfielder Hitesh Sharma

Midfielder Hitesh Sharma has signed for the Odisha FC on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Hyderabad FC, announced the club on Wednesday.

The midfielder joins the Kalinga Warriors following spells with Hyderabad FC, and ATK.

Hitesh is a Tata Football Academy graduate who joined Mumbai in the I-League. There were a few appearances here and there, but then the midfielder moved to ATK in the Indian Super League.

Sharma garnered a sum of 34 total appearances for the Kolkata-based side. He then signed for Hyderabad FC in the 2019-20 season and became one of the hottest players in the league in that position.

Following the financial turmoil with the Hyderabad FC, Hitesh was allowed by the AIFF player status committee to terminate his existing contract and join elsewhere before the transfer window ends on January 31.

Hitesh said: "I am very happy to have joined the Kalinga Warriors. They have been improving year on year and that is something that attracted me to the club. There is a sense of unity and togetherness in the squad. I can't wait to get started."

Sergio commented: "Hitesh is a technically very good player, he is intelligent and knows how to interpret the game very well. He is a player who can help us in the present and the future of this project."

Recently, Odisha FC finished runner ups in the Super Cup losing to East Bengal FC in the extra time of the final match.