Carl McHugh extends contract with ATK Mohun Bagan

The Irishman made six appearances for the club in their title-winning campaign last season.

Carl McHugh has signed a fresh one-year contract extension with ATK Mohun Bagan. The Irishman had joined the Kolkata outfit from Scottish side Motherwell ahead of the 2019-20 season of the Indian Super League.

His latest contract means he will now stay with the reigning champions until 2021. The 27-year-old is delighted at the prospect of spending another season with the Kolkata-based club and is itching to get back on the field, hoping to do his part to help the team retain their ISL crown.

He remarked, “I am thrilled to be signing again for the club. It was hard to watch from the sidelines last season. I can’t wait to be back on the pitch and contribute to the defence of our title and the AFC Cup quest.”

McHugh endured a frustrating debut season in India. He made a cracking start to life on Indian shores with a goal against Kerala Blasters on his first outing in the league. However, he ended up making only six appearances having picked up an injury that brought his campaign to a premature end.

The player is very versatile, capable of doing a commendable job in both midfield as well as defence. He will be aiming to become a regular fixture in the side this season and play a key part in the title defence. His versatility would be a huge bonus for Antonio Lopez Habas, who will have a reliable figure to call upon to slot in seamlessly in various positions. In the six games he played last season, Carl McHugh managed to record 19 tackles, seven interceptions and 23 clearances in addition to making 201 passes.

McHugh has previously played for the likes of Bradford City and Plymouth Argyle among others, before his move to ATK (now ATK Mohun Bagan). He becomes the latest player to pen down an extension following Jobby Justin, Roy Krishna, Pritam Kotal, and Edu Garcia. ATK Mohun Bagan are already a well-drilled unit and a fully-fit Carl McHugh could further help them to maintain their defensive resilience, as they target another successful campaign in the upcoming edition of the ISL.