Football News: Indian Super League - Mumbai City FC welcomes new defender Gursimrat Singh Gill
Mumbai City FC has signed 25-year-old Gursimrat Singh Gill before the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL). He is a product of the AIFF Elite Academy and signed his first top-flight contract with Bengaluru FC in 2016
Indian Super League (ISL)He competed in the AFC Cup and was an active member of the Federation Cup winning team in 2017. The defender joined NorthEast United in 2017-18 before returning to his former club, Bengaluru FC, the following season.
Gill'sGill's second stint at Bengaluru continued for two seasons, and they became the ISL champions in 2018-19. Gill feels blessed to be joining a team as reputed.
"I am at a stage in my career where I want to play and gain experience at the highest level, and joining Mumbai City will help me take a step in that direction," Gill disclosed in a press release.
The Punjab-born player had competed for I League side Sudeva Delhi in 2020-21, right before his shift to ISL side ATK Mohun Bagan the same season.
The head coach of Mumbai City FC, Des Buckingham, believes that the player will add depth and versatility to their defence. He has a colourful history both in the ISL and at the continental level.
He has proved his calibre to the coach through training in the past week in Kolkata. "We are delighted to have him with us, and we look forward to seeing him contribute towards our team steams goals this season," were Buckingham'sBuckingham's words.
Apulia Ralte to fly to Belgium for training
Mumbai City FC has also announced that their midfielder Lalengmawia Apulia Ralte has flown to Belgium to attend a two-week training stint with their sister club, Lommel SK.
The young star will be allowed to practice alongside the Belgian First Division B side to acquire experience in football with help from the staff and assigned coaches through an immersive training environment, as conveyed by the ISL club.
Kandarp Chandra, CEO of Mumbai City FC, is glad to be associated with City Football Group, allowing players and coaches "to have access to the Group'sGroup's collective resources."
He is glad to see Apulia reap the benefits of the knowledge and expertise of the coaches at Lommel SK. This might also imply that the talent at Mumbai City will be furthered and nurtured within the group.
In the process, others could have similar experiences too. Chandra is grateful to Lommel and CFG for initiating the training stint. He concluded his statement about Apuia for his time in Belgium.
Mumbai City FC is currently a 65 percent subsidiary of the City Football Group Limited, which own the English Premier League champions, Manchester City.
The group has 99 percent ownership of Lommel SK.