Left-back Jessel Carneiro signed a three-year contract extension with Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters on Wednesday, the Kochi-based outfit confirmed on Wednesday.
Carneiro, who joined the club last season, was one of the players who impressed the most during the 2019-’20 ISL, despite Kerala Blasters failing to qualify for the playoffs.
“I aim to be a part of the team when the club lifts their first ISL Trophy,” Carneiro was quoted as saying by the ISL website after extending his stay with Kerala.
“Kerala Blasters FC gave me an opportunity to prove myself and I hope to put in my best efforts and align with the goals of the club for the upcoming seasons too. This is a new beginning for me and I am looking forward to working with our new head coach, Kibu Vicuna.”
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Kerala Blasters’ new head coach Vicuna said: “Jessel is one of the top Indian left-backs in the country. He had a fantastic season last year and is a very important player for our team. We are very happy to have him extend his stay with the club.”
The 29-year-old defender began his career with Dempo SC in the Goa Pro League and captained Goa during the 2018-’19 Santosh Trophy before joining Kerala Blasters last season.
Carneiro made an instant impact as he tallied five assists during the 2019-’20 campaign – the joint-highest for a defender alongside ATK’s Prabir Das.
The full-back made 18 appearances for Kerala – the most by any player in the team last season and also recorded the most number of passes and interceptions (22), joint-highest along with midfielder Mouhamadou Gning.
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