Former Kerala Blasters midfielder Deependra Negi signs for Kenkre FC

The midfielder has ISL experience under his belt.

The Mumbai-based I-League outfit Kenkre FC has sealed the signing of ISL-experienced Deependra Singh Negi, Khel Now can confirm. Deependra played his plight for Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL).

“The young midfielder will feature for Kenkre FC in the ongoing I-League campaign and has signed a year-long deal with them,” a source close to the development informed Khel Now.

About the Player

Deependra Singh Negi was born on November 20, 1998, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. He always had a fire inside to become a footballer ever since his boyhood. He was selected in the prestigious AIFF Elite Academy in 2012 where he started his youth career in football. Over the years, he became a star player at the academy and spent around three years there perfecting his game.

In 2013, he was selected as a member of the Indian national squad which was participating in the SAFF Championship held in Nepal. The championship didn't earn him game time but gifted him some national camp experience. Afterwards, he was selected in the national squad which competed in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers (Kuwait).

Deependra was named the captain of the U-17 team which competed in the Subroto Cup. He played his first match against Pune. He was the only scorer in that match and AIFF won it by a score of 1-0.

In the 2016-17 season, Deependra was a member of the Segunda Division (La Liga 2) team CF Reus. Moreover, he also played in the Cerdanya Cup.

Deependra made it to the ISL entry through Kerala Blasters. In the 2017-18 season, he made a flashing debut for the Blasters by coming on as a super-sub in the second half and scoring just minutes after coming off the bench. He featured in a total of three matches for the Blasters.

In 2019, Deependra Singh Negi signed for Hyderabad FC. However, he didn’t register any appearances for the Nizams!

He had a short stint with Garhwal FC in the I-League qualifiers prior to joining Kenkre FC on a one-year deal.

Kenkre FC's preseason preparation

Kenkre FC proved to be one of the luckiest clubs in the I-League by narrowly escaping relegation last season. They finished 13th in the point table. The discontinuation of the Indian Arrows project has handed them a second chance in the league.

Speaking of their second chance, head coach Akhil Kothari shoulders a huge responsibility this season.

Defender Al Azhar Delhiwala is given the captain's armband to lead the team this time. Forwards Ranjeet Singh Pandre and Varun Mathur are entitled to the responsibility to score goals this season. Kenkre FC is one of the few teams in the I-League to field an All-Indian squad. Currently, they sit fourth in the points table with one win and three points to their name.