Guwahati: Assam’s Guwahati-based NorthEast United Football Club (NEUFC) has signed young Indian forward Ankith Padmanabhan from Bengaluru Football Club (Bengaluru FC) for the 2024-25 season with an option to extend the contract by two years.
The 22-year-old footballer made his name playing in the Karnataka side that won the prestigious Santosh Trophy in 2022-23. Ankith scored two vital goals – versus Maharashtra and versus Services in the semifinals for the national championship-winning side.
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Born and brought up in Karnataka’s Bengaluru, Ankith, son of former India international footballer, Padmanabhan, always wanted to be a footballer like his father. He joined the Ozone Football Club – his first club aged nine and progressed quickly through the ranks.
In the Bangalore District Football Association (BDFA) Super Division League, Ankith impressed with six goals in just eight games before joining the Bengaluru FC in July 2022.
In the 2023-24 season, he trained with the senior team of Bengaluru FC and played key games for the club’s reserve team in their title-winning run to Bengaluru Super Division League title.
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“I am happy to join the NEUFC. It was an easy decision for me to make as I knew our assistant coach Naushad Moosa beforehand. I feel this is the right club for me to develop as a player and I am confident that I can equally contribute to the club’s success,” said Ankith.
“I am eagerly waiting for the season to start. The fans here are incredible, so I cannot wait to see them in the stadium,” he added.
“Ankith is a young and ambitious player with a lot of potential. He’s fast, technically sound and offers a lot going forward. We are happy to have him here,” said NEUFC head coach Juan Pedro Benali.
NEUFC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mandar Tamhane, said, “There is no doubt about Ankith’s talent and potential. At NEUFC, he has the right environment to learn from the experienced players and coaches and be a top professional.”
Ankith also competed in the Reliance Foundation Development League, netting two goals in as many games. The young attacker was also the vice-captain of the Karnataka team for national championships last season.