Afghan midfielder Farshad Noor set to join Gokulam Kerala FC

The 28-year-old was in sensational form for the Malabarians last season.

Defending I-League champions Gokulam Kerala are set to sign Afghanistan national team captain and midfielder Farshad Noor for the upcoming season, Khel Now understands.

The 28-year-old midfielder currently plays for Bahrain SC in the Bahraini Premier League, the top division in the country. He helped the club earn a promotion to the top division with a second-place finish in the Bahrain Second Division last season. Farshad Noor has dual citizenship and holds passports from both Afghanistan and Netherlands.

He has been in terrific form for Bahrain SC after struggling for gametime at Persib Bandung and Al Hala SC. Last season, Noor scored three goals and assisted 15 times, of which 10 came in the league, for Bahrain SC helping them gain promotion to the top division.

About the player

Farshad Noor learned the basics of the game from Wilhelmina Boys Youth club. In 2004, overwhelmed by his potential, Noor was scouted by PSV Eindhoven. He spend the next five years at PSV Eindhoven Youth where he improved his technicalities as a midfielder. He featured for PSV's U-17, U-19, and U-21 teams in the early phase of his career.

In 2015, Noor signed for Roda JC Kerkrade of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, which is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. Initially, he was picked up for their U-21 team, and later gained promotion to the senior team. He featured in a total of 28 matches for the senior team and assisted once. During his time with the Roda JC Kerkrade, Noor was loaned out to the Eredivisie club, SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden in 2016.

Following his departure from Roda JC Kerkrade in 2007, Noor moved out of the Netherlands for the very first time by joining AFC Eskilstuna, a second-tier club of Swedish football.

Apart from plying his trade in Europe, Noor has experience playing in Asia for Nea Salamina Famagusta, Persib Bandung, Al Hala SC, and Bahrain SC.

Overlooking his national team career, Noor had experience playing for the U-16 and U-17 teams of the Netherlands national team. He played four matches in total for the Netherlands youth team.

Being an Afghanistan passport holder, Farshad Noor debuted for Afghanistan national team in March 2017. Ever since then he has featured in 23 matches and scored once for the lions of Khorasan. Farshad Noor is an integral part of the Afghan midfield and is given the captain's armband to shoulder the responsibilities of leading the team.

Gokulam Kerala’s preparations for I-League 2022-23

After a successful I-League campaign that saw them lift the I-League title, Gokulam Kerala are going through a transition. The Malabarians beat Mohammedan SC on the final day to become the first team to successfully retain the I-League trophy.

They have parted ways with two-time title-winning coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese. Gokulam has also lost multiple domestic talents to ISL and fellow I-League clubs which include Emil Benny and Jithin M.S.

Gokulam Kerala FC are trying to hold onto the winning momentum through their new coach Richard Towa. They recently made some new foreign acquisitions to strengthen their team, which includes Brazilian midfielder Everton Kaka. The transfer window also saw their former midfielder Arjun Jayaraj returning back to their base after a stint with Kerala United FC.