Jamshedpur FC completes the signing of defender Provat Lakra

Jamshedpur FC have completed the signing of defender Provat Lakra from NorthEast United FC on a one-year deal the club announced on Wednesday.

Lakra played a significant role at the Highlanders over the past few seasons, making 36 appearances since joining the club in 2018.

The 25-year-old can operate as both a right back and a left back depending on the requirement, and his superior defensive prowess will help secure the Men of Steel at the back.

Provat was born in Kalyani, West Bengal and made his name at the youth level with United SC before making his I-League Second Division debut with Southern Samity in the 2016-17 campaign. Following a successful loan spell at South Indian side Gokulam Kerala in the Hero I-League, Lakra made his big move to the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) with NorthEast United FC in 2018 and spent a number of years there before now jumping ship to the Steel city.

“It’s a real dream for me to play at Jamshedpur FC,” said Provat Lakra on becoming a part of the Men of Steel family.

“The club has promoted young players from the beginning with the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and senior players and TFA graduates like Pronay Halder are already here to help the younger players. I’m sure that with the help of the coaching staff and the team, I can really help the club do well this season and we can get back to winning trophies.”

The defender also earned some high praise from new Jamshedpur FC Head Coach, Scott Cooper, who has a keen eye for spotting young talent and nurturing their development.

“Provat is an excellent capture for us,” Scott Cooper said. “At 25 years he is an ideal age and a player who is capable of playing both full back positions and has valuable ISL experience already.

“He played almost every game for NorthEast and was a vital part of that team. We feel that Provat fits our profile of players that we are interested in. He is technical and has good speed, his recovery is very good and he has great crossing abilities along with a great attitude.”