Nishu Kumar joins East Bengal on loan from Kerala Blasters

The full-back will add versatility to East Bengal's defence.

East Bengal FC is pleased announce the signing of defender Nishu Kumar on a season-long loan deal from Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC).

Nishu won the Indian Super League (ISL) title with Bengaluru FC (BFC) in the 2018-19 season under current East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat. He was also part of the KBFC squad that finished runners-up in the 2021-22 ISL. An ambipedal full-back, Nishu has the rare ability to operate on both sides of the pitch.

Debabrata Mukherjee's words

Commenting on Nishu’s move to East Bengal, Debabrata Mukherjee of Emami Group said, “Nishu’s quality, experience and versatility make him a fantastic addition to our squad. He has already won the ISL title playing under Coach Carles and we are looking forward to seeing the very best of Nishu in East Bengal colours.”

Nishu Kumar speaks

25-year-old Nishu is elated to join the century-old club. He said, “It’s a matter of great pride for me to join an iconic institution like East Bengal. This club has a huge fan base, which is always a great motivation for a player to give his best.”

He added, “I am also thrilled to reunite with Coach Carles, who groomed me in my formative years at BFC. We will be playing a lot of matches in the upcoming season and I will give my best in every match and try to bring joy to our fans that they truly deserve.”

Carles Cuadrat praises the defender

Coach Carles, during whose association with BFC Nishu won a Federation Cup title (2017), a Hero Super Cup title (2018) and a ISL title, praised the young defender’s versatility and work ethic. The experienced Spanish coach said, “Nishu is a very talented and hardworking player. He has ample ISL experience under his belt, having won the league in 2019 and reached another final in 2022. It was while playing under me that he got selected for the Indian national team. He is someone who always gives his best effort on the pitch.”

About Nishu Kumar

Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Nishu Kumar learnt the rudiments of the game at the Chandigarh Football Academy before graduating from the AIFF Elite Academy.

In 2015, the young defender joined Bengaluru FC and went on to win the I-League in his debut season in professional football. Subsequently, Nishu became an integral part of the BFC setup during his 5-year-long stint with the Blues.

After featuring in 9 matches during BFC’s maiden ISL campaign in 2017-18, Nishu took his game a notch higher by playing a pivotal role in the Blues’ first Hero ISL triumph the following season.

Nishu’s string of consistent performances for BFC earned him his senior national team debut in a friendly against Jordan in Amman on November 18, 2018, where he scored in his maiden international appearance.

After helping BFC reach their third consecutive ISL semi-finals in the 2019-20 season, Nishu signed for KBFC ahead of the 2020-21 ISL.

In the 2022-23 edition of the ISL, Nishu made 17 appearances and registered 1 assist, 12 interceptions, 22 clearances and 15 successful tackles. Besides, he also played every minute of KBFC’s Hero Super Cup 2023 campaign.

Overall, in his 82 ISL matches so far, Nishu has racked up 3 goals, 2 assists, 82 interceptions and 189 clearances. The player registration is subject to completion of regulatory processes.