Jamshedpur FC have signed Lithuanian striker Nerijus Valskis on a free transfer after he left former club Chennaiyin at the end of his contract.
Valskis was the joint-top scorer in the ISL last season scoring 15 goals for Chennaiyin as he led them to the final in Goa in March. Three players finished on 15 goals apiece (KBFC’s Bartholomew Ogbeche and ATK’s Roy Krishna) but the Lithuanian clinched the award for providing more assists.
Valskis has played in Poland and Belarus but his most prolific season came at Suduva in the Lithuanian league in 2013.
The 33-year-old has followed coach Owen Coyle to Jamshedpur and is the club’s second high-profile signing after the acquisition of Jackichand Singh from FC Goa.
Coyle expressed his delight at the signing and hoped for more of the same for the Lithuanian from their association at CFC.
“Nerka is a seasoned striker with goalscoring prowess and hunger to attack the opposition at all times. His link-up play, agility, and finishing is of the highest order, probably the best in the league, and he was the Golden Boot winner for a reason,” Coyle told the Jamshedpur FC website.
“His performances last season were so powerful and lethal, that his mere presence in the dressing room and the pitch automatically lifted everyone around him. I look forward to working with him and have another successful season,” he added.
Read: Indian Super League: List of completed transfers ahead of 2020-’21 season
Valskis revealed that Coyle was one of the major reasons for him joining the club.
“We worked wonders as he lifted and motivated a squad that was struggling, resulting in a turnaround that helped us reach the final. I am looking forward to achieving more success with him,” the 33-year-old told the club’s website after making the move.
The 2020-’21 season of the ISL will begin in November and will be played behind closed doors at three venues in Goa due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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