Jamshedpur FC have signed former Kerala Blasters and India forward, CK Vineeth on a one-year deal for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League.
Jamshedpur will be the third Indian Super League outfit that the 31-year-old will play for in his career.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for me to come to play for Jamshedpur. I have been here twice whilst playing for Kerala Blasters in the last two seasons and the atmosphere at The Furnace was absolutely brilliant,” the striker said in a statement released by the club.
It’s a highly challenging space and ground for any opposing team and it will be exciting to be on the other side this season. I want to put my best foot forward and contribute as much as I can for the team and bring out the finest of my game to this awesome city and club,” he added.
Born in Kerala, Vineeth made his senior professional club debut for Kolkata-based I-League side, United Sports Club in 2012. He played 23 matches that season and scored seven goals. The following campaign, he made 14 further appearances for the club before making the move to Bengaluru FC midway through the season.
Having won the league in his first few months with the Blues, Vineeth stepped up his game and earned some real minutes in the 2014-’15 campaign. In 23 appearances spanning over the league and AFC competitions, Vineeth scored four times and provided two assists.
Impressed with his displays, the Blasters roped Vineeth on loan for the 2015 ISL season, wherein he contributed with two assists. He returned to Bengaluru following that spell and scored six times in 17 appearances in the 2015-’16 I-League season.
The Blasters loaned him once again for the 2016 ISL season, this time getting five goals in nine matches from the forward, and using it to reach the final four. Back with the Blues for the 2016-’17 I-League term, Vineeth played a total of 16 matches and scored seven times.
That proved to be the end of his time with Bengaluru as he signed a permanent deal with the Blasters before the start of the 2017-’18 ISL season. In 14 league matches, Vineeth scored four goals but failed to take the club into the final four.
After playing the first part of last season with the Kochi-based club, the 31-year-old moved on loan to Chennaiyin earlier this year. He played 18 matches and scored four goals for the two-time ISL champions spanning over multiple competitions. Internationally, the forward has represented India seven times.
When asked about the new signing, head coach Antonio Iriondo said, “Vineeth is a proven player. He has a winning mentality that reflects not just in his work ethic but also his trophy cabinet. His versatility is always a threat in front of the opponent goal, which adds tremendous value to our squad composition. I look forward to working with him.”
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