During the break between seasons, one thing that fans of a football club keep a tab on seriously is sales and acquisitions.
While Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood has not loosened his purse strings heavily, he has sensibly procured the services of Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Udanta Singh.
Of the two, Eugeneson is the more experienced one, the 28-year-old having played in I-League earlier, under current BFC assistant coach Pradhyumn Reddy who was in charge of Shillong Lajong then. Having noticed the attacking midfielder play, Westwood didn’t think twice before dialing Eugeneson personally last year and offering him a one-year contract.
Unlike Eugeneson, 18-year-old Udanta, a Tata Football Academy graduate, is just cutting his teeth in national football. Following an impressive outing against BFC during a friendly last year and rated highly at the academy, the young and fleet-footed striker was roped in by Westwood, hoping to maintain the balance between youth and experience in the squad.
“We’ve seen Eugeneson play in the (Federation Cup) final, he’s a real good footballer,” said Westwood. “He’s a very good prospect for India as well. He’s really fit now. He’s had five to six months of serious fitness work that he’s never done before.
“Technically, he’s a good box to box midfielder. He can tackle, score goals and control the game. He’s an all-round midfielder,” the Englishman said about Eugeneson.
Having turned a squad from nothing into champions, Westwood also spoke highly about Udanta although the teenager is more a back-up option considering the hectic schedule staring at BFC. “We’ve worked really well with him for the last five months. We’ve increased his pace and overall tactical awareness. He’s got electric pace and he’ll show this season what a player he’s going to be.”
Eugeneson, who showed his prowess during the just-concluded Federation Cup where he played a starring role in two matches, said the possibility of winning titles is what prompted him to return to Bengaluru, where he did his high school studies at Bishop Cotton Boys School.
“Every player wants to play for the champions and when the coach called and told me he wanted me, I thought about it and made my decision to come here knowing that it will be for the betterment of my playing career. At the time of the call I was excited but I didn’t want to show anyone because it was during the season. No one had actually called me before and when he did I was over the moon.
“Winning the Federation Cup was something that I wanted to achieve before but I couldn’t. But when I came here I felt that I could achieve more and may be retain the I-League. We also want to try and qualify for the AFC Champions League.”
Udanta, whose word flow is the exact opposite of his speed on the pitch, said his main goal would be to learn as much as possible from his seniors.
“For any youngster in the country, playing in a club as professional as BFC is dream come true. This will be my maiden I-League season. I want to just make a mark for myself.”
