Young players bring an X-factor to any competition. The romance surrounding their unexpected rise, the freshness of their fearless approach and the sheer raw talent on display elevates the level of sport on display.
Indian football, and most recently the Indian Super League, has been witness to some fine young talents that have gone from a new kids on the block to a well-established names. Be it Sandesh Jhingan, who rose to a different kind of prominence after shining for Kerala Blasters in the inaugural ISL season to Anirudh Thapa more recently, who backed up his heroics in the I-League with defining performances for Chennaiyin FC.
Both players are now key members of the national football team and among the leading stars in the ISL.
Last season it was Sumit Rathi who made his mark starring in defence for ATK who went on to win the title. Earlier, Sahal Abdul Samad who got the fans on the edge of their seats playing for Kerala Blasters in the previous season.
With the 2020-’21 season now upon us, here’s a look at 21 young Indian footballers under the age of 21 that could become future stars.
Note: Some players like Sumit Rathi, Mohamad Rakip, Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh Wangjam and Shubham Sarangi have been excluded from the list despite falling in this age bracket as they are already established players for their respective clubs.
- Sahil Sheikh
Team: ATK Mohun Bagan
Age: 20
Position: Central midfielder
A Mohun Bagan academy product, the young central midfielder caught the eye of Kibu Vicuna who drafted the youngster into the Mohun Bagan midfield. Cementing his place in the side, he helped his team win the 2019-’20 I-League title. ATK Mohun Bagan Decided to take him on board and signed him up on a three-year deal. Watch out for this midfield starlet under Antonio Habas.
2. Nongdamba Naorem
Team: Kerala Blasters
Age: 20
Position: Winger
Another member of Mohun Bagan’s I-League winning team last season, Naorem scored twice in 16 appearances for the Mariners. Part of India’s 2017 U-17 World Cup squad, Naorem, a Minerva Punjab academy product, also featured for India’s U-20 team. Signed by Kerala Blasters in 2018, Naorem may finally get to show the fans what he’s all about having reunited with coach Vicuna.
3. Makan Chote
Team: FC Goa
Age: 20
Position: Winger
One of the top exciting prospects in Indian football, Chote was snapped up by FC Goa ahead of the new season. An academy product of Minerva Punjab, Chote hugely impressed in the I-League for Punjab last season where he scored twice and assisted once. He has also played in the AFC Cup for Minerva Punjab and is very well equipped to shine at FC Goa.
4. Isak Vanlalruatfela
Team: Odisha FC
Age: 19
Position: Striker/ Winger
The young forward had attracted attention with his performances for Aizawl FC in the I-League, where he scored three goals, and it was a matter of time before he was signed by an ISL club. Odisha FC came calling and added him to their roster for the upcoming season. The former Bengaluru FC youth team player would want to replicate the success of Jerry Mawhmingthanga and Nandhakumar Sekar at the club.
5. Nikhil Prabhu
Team: Hyderabad FC
Age: 20
Position: Central defender
After being promoted from Hyderabad’s youth team, Prabhu has signed a three-year contract at the club. Growing up playing for clubs like Mumbai FC in the MDFA Elite Division and in the junior I-League competitions, Prabhu was signed by FC Pune City and later absorbed by Hyderabad FC. A Jinghan fan, Prabhu is determined to emulate his hero and feels he can make the cut at Hyderabad this season.
6. Vikram Pratap Singh
Team: Mumbai City FC
Age: 18
Position: Striker/ Winger
The young forward is tipped to be among the best emerging players in India. A real difference-maker for the Indian Arrows side in the last two seasons, Singh wasn’t selected in India’s U-17 team for the 2017 World Cup. But he overcame that setback to prove the doubters wrong and played a key role in India’s AFC U-16 Championships in 2018, where India came close to qualifying for the World Cup. An excellent dribbler, Vikram Pratap Singh is sure to grab eyeballs when on the pitch.
7. Givson Singh
Team: Kerala Blasters
Age: 18
Position: Striker/ Winger
The teen is another Indian Arrows alumnus who has made a mark in the I-League. A midfielder with an eye for goal, Givson impressed in 2018 AFC U-16 Championships playing for the Indian U-16 team. The Blasters signed him ahead of the upcoming season and with several promising youngsters at the club, expect Givson to make an instant impact.
8. Ninthoinganba Meetei
Team: NorthEast United
Age: 19
Position: Striker
Another player from India’s U-17 Fifa World Cup squad, Meetei made a name for himself with the Indian Arrows. His best performance though came with the Indian U-18 team last year when he was awarded the Most Valuable Player at Saff U-18 Cup. Having already had a taste of ISL last season, appearing on 11 occasions for NorthEast United, Meetei seems ready to make a starting eleven place his own.
9. Moirangthem Thoiba Singh
Team: Odisha FC
Age: 17
Position: Midfielder
Having spent the last two seasons at Minerva Punjab, Thoiba Singh has gained valuable experience and is considered among the top upcoming midfielders in India. Just 17, Thoiba Singh is the youngest goalscorer in the AFC Cup and also holds the distinction of being the youngest player to ever appear in Indian football league system having made his debut at age of 15. An important player for Indian age-group teams, Thoiba Singh is future star in the making.
10. Abhijit Sarkar
Team: Chennaiyin FC
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
Sarkar was also a part of India’s U-17 Fifa World Cup team and was signed by Chennaiyin FC in 2018, but he well and truly came into his own last season when he starred for East Bengal in the I-League. The young Indian midfielder scored five times in 26 matches for East Bengal and seems ready to fight for a place at Chennaiyin. Watch out for this talented midfielder.
11. Amay Morajkar
Team: Bengaluru FC
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
After playing for Bengaluru FC’s youth and reserve teams in the last three years, Morajkar was promoted to the senior team. He played for Bengaluru FC in their AFC Cup playoff match last season against Paro FC and is now ready to shine for the senior team. With plenty of experience in the Bengaluru team, Morajkar would find it much easier to settle into life in the top flight.
12. Prabhsukhan Singh Gill
Team: Kerala Blasters
Age: 19
Position: Goalkeeper
Kerala Blasters’ new recruit Gill played in a few important matches for Bengaluru FC last season and did quite well. Having spent the previous two seasons at Indian Arrows, Gill earned praise from then-coach Luis Norton de Matos and also played for India at the U-17 level. Gill will be pushing for a starting place at Kerala Blasters and despite tough competition for the place between the sticks in India’s senior team, expect Gill to soon get into the mix.
13. Hendry Antonay
Team: Odisha FC
Age: 20
Position: Right-back
An attacking full-back who rose to prominence after being selected in India’s U-17 World Cup squad, his graph suffered a nosedive for a bit after that. After failing to make an impact at Chennaiyin, Antonay revived his career with Indian Arrows last season where he made 12 appearances. Now at Odisha FC, Antonay, who is a Dani Alves fan, would hope to compete for that right-back slot. One to watch out for for the future.
14. Phrangki Buam
Team: FC Goa
Age: 19
Position: Attacking midfielder
A youth academy product at Royal Wahingdoh, Buam made his first real impression at Shillong Lajong, where he was the team’s second-highest Indian scorer with six goals. He spent last season on loan at Bengaluru United where he continued to impress. Signed by Goa ahead of the 2020-’21 campaign, Buam is one of the youngsters to watch out for in the upcoming campaign.
15. Sandip Mandi
Team: Jamshedpur FC
Age: 18
Position: Centre-back/Left-back
A strong, well-built defender, Mandi has come through the ranks at Tata Football Academy and was adjudged the best defender at the 2019 Vedanta Cup tournament playing for TFA. He was rewarded with three appearances for Jamshedpur FC side in the ISL. Although it was a mixed bag for him, Jamshedpur FC rate him highly. Under Owen Coyle, expect the former India U-16 player to further underline his credentials.
16. Ayush Adhikari
Team: Kerala Blasters
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
At the age of 14, Adhikari was selected for U Dream Program that saw him train in Germany. He finished as the top scorer in 2018-’19 Santosh Trophy and featured for Ozone FC in the second division I-League. Kerala Blasters signed him and loaned him out to Indian Arrows where he had a breakthrough campaign last time out. He made 13 appearances for Arrows side to establish himself as one of the best young talents in India.
17. Rohit Danu
Team: Hyderabad FC
Age: 18
Position: Striker
Danu was set to become the youngest member of India’s U-17 World Cup squad until an injury ended his hopes. However, his talent was not be kept under wraps for too long as he represented India at U-16 and U-18 levels. He starred for Indian Arrows scoring four goals in the 2018-’19 I-League campaign when he became the youngest goalscorer in history of the competition. He was signed by Hyderabad FC ahead of the new season. Expect fireworks from the young striker when he comes onto the field.
18. Asif Khan
Team: Mumbai City FC
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Khan joined the Mumbai City FC youth set-up through a selection trial after impressive performances at school and college level in Mumbai. He was part of the Mumbai City reserve team that played in the I-League second division last season but trained with the senior side. Possessing great dribbling skills and passing ability, former coach Jorge Costa said that Khan had “tremendous potential” while also praising his hunger to win. Khan will have tough competition at Mumbai City but he is certain to thrive under Sergio Lobera.
19. Premjit Singh
Team: Odisha FC
Age: 18
Position: Striker/ Winger
Premjit Singh made his mark last season playing for I-League side TRAU where he made eight appearances. He recorded a goal and an assist in his debut campaign that was enough for Odisha to recruit him ahead of the 2020-’21 campaign. A player with raw pace, Premjit is tipped to emulate Jerry’s success at the club.
20. Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha
Team: Bengaluru FC
Age: 18
Position: Midfielder
A box-to-box midfielder, he earned a place in Bengaluru’s first team having risen through the ranks. With over 40 appearances for the club’s youth team, Emanuel is a perfect fit in Carles Cuadrat’s system. Only 18, Emanuel is likened to Renedy Singh and it will be interesting to see what he has to offer this season.
21. Kynsailang Khongsit
Team: Hyderabad FC
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Another one of Shillong Lajong products, Khongsit caught the eye when he played for the club for successive seasons between 2017 and 2020. He signed for Hyderabad FC in 2018 and played for its reserve side making six appearances in the I-League second division. This season he has been promoted to the senior team and is one of the defenders to watch out for.
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