Top five achievements of Iain Hume in Indian Super League

The Canadian superstar was among the first fan favourite players in the league.

Iain Hume announced his retirement from professional football on Saturday. It put an end to a nearly two-decade-long playing career, in which he played for 11 teams. That also included playing for three Indian Super League (ISL) sides! The Canadian was among the first foreign players in the ISL and one of the first fan favorites too.

He started his ISL career with Kerala Blasters, helping them get to the finals of the inaugural season. Hume then moved to Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) before ending his ISL stint with FC Pune City. The Canadian had a number of memorable moments in the first years of the tournament which helped it gain more recognition among Indian football fans. So here we look at Iain Hume's top-five achievements in the ISL.

5. Scoring Kerala Blasters' first-ever ISL goal

Hume made an instant impact at Kerala Blasters after being roped in by the club for their inaugural season. The Canadian forward took little time to adapt to the conditions in India and blended in brilliantly at Kerala. He scored their first-ever goal in the ISL during their opening game of the 2014 season against Chennaiyin FC.

While the Blasters went down to a 2-1 loss, Hume scored the equalizer to impress fans in his debut game. In doing so, Iain Hume became the first-ever player to score an ISL goal for the Blasters – an achievement that will be remembered by their fans for a long time.

4. Winning ISL Fittest Player of the Season award

Hume had entered his 30s when he decided to test himself in the ISL. But his age or body never held him back from pouring his heart out in the ISL games. He always played to his 100% and set high standards for his teammates in terms of his energy levels. Hume’s fitness levels were exemplary, as he was the first to press opposition players and run the extra mile for his side.

He was rewarded for his impressive fitness levels in the 2015 ISL season. Hume won the ‘ISL Fittest Player of the Season’ award at the age of 32. That’s because he worked harder than many younger players and played in every game for Atletico de Kolkata.

3. Winning the ISL Golden Ball in debut season

Hume had a really impressive debut season in the ISL. It probably ranks among the best for any foreign player to have played in the competition so far. The forward was the major force behind Kerala Blasters’ title push, as he dragged them through difficult moments to get vital results. He scored five out of their 20 overall goals and even managed to register two assists.

His goals included those against heavyweights Atletico de Kolkata, FC Pune City and also against Chennaiyin FC in the ISL playoffs. Hume’s amazing performances allowed him to win the ISL Golden Ball – given to the best player of the season. Despite coming up short in the final, at least the Canadian got rewarded with an impressive achievement.

2. Guiding Atletico de Kolkata to their second ISL title

The Canadian forward played in five seasons of the ISL across three clubs. But he only won the ISL title once, which was as part of the Kolkata giants Atletico de Kolkata. After missing out on the title in his debut season with the Kolkata side, in which he scored 11 goals for them, Hume got his redemption in the 2016 season.

He scored seven goals for them, finishing as the second-highest goal-scorer in the season. More importantly, however, was that Hume helped Atletico de Kolkata win their second ISL title. He played a major role in it, being their top-scorer and also scoring a brace in their 3-2 win over Mumbai City in the first leg of the playoffs. Hume picked up his first (and only) ISL winners medal in that campaign, adding another feather to his cap.

1. Scoring the most ISL hat-tricks

Hume will be remembered by ISL fans for many things. But the one thing that will fondly stay in the memories of fans is his tendency to score hat-tricks! He couldn’t score a hat-trick in his first season for Kerala Blasters, but added that element to his game after changing clubs. The Canadian forward scored his first ISL hat-trick in Atletico de Kolkata’s 4-1 win over Mumbai City in the 2015 season.

The second one also came in that exact season, when he ousted FC Pune City with a brilliant outing in a 4-1 win. Hume’s final hat-trick came after he rejoined the Blasters, as he thrilled the Yellow Army by scoring a hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Delhi Dynamos in the 2017/18 season.

Hume currently holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored by a player in the ISL, with only Bartholomew Ogbeche scoring three hat-tricks.