Kerala Blasters FC sign Farooq; Givson joins Chennaiyin FC on loan

Kerala (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 1 (ANI): Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters FC, on Tuesday, confirmed the signing of midfielder Danish Farooq from Bengaluru FC for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old will join the club this winter transfer window after penning a multi-year deal that keeps him at the club until 2026. Danish started his youth career with J&K Bank Football Academy, representing them across all age groups. His exemplary performances earned him a move to Lonestar Kashmir with whom he made 18 appearances before joining Real Kashmir FC in 2016.

He became the top scorer and top assist provider in the I-League Second Division, helping the Snow Leopards qualify for the I-league in the 2017/18 season. After spending 5 years with Real Kashmir, Danish was signed by Bengaluru FC for a two-year deal.

He has since made 27 appearances and scored 4 goals in the ISL. His strong physique, scoring capacity, and dribbling skills earned him the name Kashmiri Ronaldo.

Commenting on the Blaster’s winter transfer, Karolis Skinkys said, “Danish was one of the key targets from the last season when we saw him in the context of ISL. He has that Playing style, passion, and quality that Kerala Blasters need. I’m happy that we were able to finalize this transfer and reinforce our team at a crucial moment this season. We signed a 3.5-year contract and this is an important move for team consistency in upcoming seasons.”

“I am really excited to join Kerala Blasters. The atmosphere at Kochi is absolutely electric, I can’t wait to wear the famous yellow jersey and give my best for the team,” said an elated Danish Farooq upon signing with his new club as per a statement released by the ISL.

Danish’s impressive performance in the ISL was rewarded with a national team call-up for the two friendly matches against Bahrain and Belarus. With the Blasters firmly in the mix for a second consecutive playoff finish, the addition of Danish will further strengthen the team as we head to the closing stages of the season.

Danish has already linked up with his new teammates in Kochi and will be availablefor selection for the game against East Bengal on February 3rd. Kerala Blasters FC, on Tuesday, also confirmed the departure of midfielder Givson Singh, who joins Chennaiyin FC on a loan deal till the end of the 2022-23 season.

Givson joined Kerala Blasters ahead of the ISL 2020-21 season and was part of the side that reached the ISL final the following season. However, the young midfielder didn’t feature for Kerala Blasters FC this season and will be hoping to get some time under his belt at Chennaiyin FC.

Born in Moirang, Manipur, Givson is a product of the Minerva Punjab Academy. He then moved to the AIFF Elite Academy and spent three years there before his move to the Indian Arrows.

Givson was one of the key players in the side, making 16 appearances during the I-League 2019-20 season, contributing with two goals and two assists. Givson was part of the U-16 Indian national team that reached the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship quarterfinals, held in Malaysia. He has represented the India U-17 Indian national team several times and featured for the U-19 team as well.