Top five debutants in Indian football in 2023

These young players were low on experience but high on determination in the past year in Indian football.

Indian football has a plethora of young talent waiting to be explored. Giving these young players a platform is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders in Indian football. Time and again, the football fraternity in the country has been witness to exceptional young talents who burst onto the scene and the year 2023 was no different in this regard.

Indian football fans saw several promising players making their debut in 2023. These individuals became favourites at their respective clubs due to their consistent bullish performances. They have shown a great will to succeed and a drive to fulfil their potential. 

As the year 2023 comes to a close, here is a look at the top five debutants in Indian football who broke through in the past year (We didn’t rank them!):

Mohammed Aimen

Mohammed Aimen of Kerala Blasters FC has been a breath of fresh air at the club. The 20-year-old made his Indian Super League debut for the club on 21 September in the season opener against Bengaluru FC.

Interestingly, he is the first-ever player from Lakshadweep to play in the top tier of the Indian football pyramid. He has featured in each of KBFC’s first 10 games of the 2023-24 ISL campaign and is one to watch out for. 

Jay Gupta

Jay Gupta’s emergence as one of the most exciting left-backs in the Indian Super League is marvellous. He has erupted onto the Indian football scene and become a regular starter in the FC Goa lineup under Manolo Marquez. The 22-year-old became an instant fan favourite thanks to his brilliant last-minute goal against Odisha FC (bullet on to the top corner).

If he keeps improving at the current rate, then a national team call-up is not a distant dream. He is a strong candidate to win the ISL Emerging Player of the Season award come the end of the season.

Mohammed Sanan

Mohammed Sanan is only 19 years of age and has already become a crucial player at Jamshedpur FC in the ongoing ISL 2023-24 campaign. He is an exciting young forward, full of energy, tenacity and drive. His persistence to produce something positive for his team makes him stand out from the crowd.

Sanan loves to impact the game from the bench and is making a strong case for a regular starting place in Scott Cooper‘s side. His first goal for the club came against the ISL 2022-23 Trophy winners Mohun Bagan SG on 1 November 2023. The versatile attacker can play anywhere across the forward line, providing brilliant utility. 

Sachin Suresh

Sachin Suresh is a brilliant goalkeeper who is showing maturity beyond his years in the ongoing Indian Super League campaign. The custodian made his debut for the senior side in the ISL on 21 September and became an instant hit. He also became a fan-favourite after his dual save from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win over Odisha FC.

The 22-year-old then went on to save two more penalties (first one was ruled out) in the next game against East Bengal FC which made him the first goalkeeper ever to save penalties in consecutive matches in the Indian Super League. The Indian men’s national team will soon need a replacement for someone like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sachin will certainly see his name amongst the favoured candidates.

Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia

The I-League may no longer be the top tier of the Indian football league system but it still houses some sensational players. Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia is one of the finds of the 2023-24 campaign. In the first 10 games of the season, the striker has racked up nine goals and one assist for Aizawl FC.

His pace, movement and finishing make him a dangerous forward. A move to the Indian Super League may be in the offing for the 23-year-old. He is one to keep an eye on and a player who can blossom into the kind of striker the Indian men’s national team needs. 

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