ISL: Mumbai City FC sign forward Farukh Choudhary

New Delhi, Mumbai City FC on Friday confirmed the signing of forward Farukh Choudhary ahead of the seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL). The Indian international joins the Islanders on a three-year contract.

The 23-year-old, a native of Ambernath in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, can play on either side in attack as well as down the middle. Choudhary started his youth career with the Diamonds Football Club, and moved on to Air India’s U-15 side and Central Bank of India in the Mumbai District Football Association. After a stint with the Pune FC U-19s, he made the switch to senior football with Lonestar Kashmir in 2015-16.

“The vision in place at Mumbai City was a key factor and I am confident this is the right step for me and my development at this stage of my career. I’m excited to start this new chapter of my life. We’re going to miss playing in front of our fans this season, but we’ll bring the spirit of Mumbai to the pitch here and we’ll be playing for them,” said Choudhary in a statement.

In 2016, he made the move to Kerala Blasters and subsequently featured for Mumbai FC on loan in the I-League before joining Jamshedpur FC in the 2017 ISL Draft. Choudhary plied his trade with Jamshedpur for three seasons, making 44 appearances, scoring 3 goals and making four assists.

Head coach Sergio Lobera said: “With his dynamism and versatility, Farukh adds a new dimension to our attack and we were keen on bringing him to the club.”

“He’s young, he’s hungry and has the ability to influence the game on his own. All of us at Mumbai City are confident that Farukh has a big future ahead of him and we hope he can help us as much as we want to help him grow,” he added.