Jeje Lalpekhlua bids emotional adieu to Chennaiyin FC after six years

The Mizo Sniper made 69 appearances for the club, recording 23 goals and seven assists overall.

Chennaiyin FC legend Jeje Lalpekhlua has officially parted ways with the club. The player himself confirmed the news via his social media accounts on Tuesday morning.

"I would firstly like to thank each and every one of you for the outstanding support you give us all at Chennaiyin FC. This is the club that gave me my first steps into the Indian Super League and it is because of this club that I am who I am today," he wrote.

The 29-year-old also thanked the club's owners Vita Dani and Abhishek Bachchan in his parting message. "I will never forget the support they have given us through all the ups and downs during our six seasons."

"It was a great feeling to win the trophy twice with the team. A big thank you to every manager I played under and each and every player I played alongside," he went on. "I did wish I could play another match for Chennaiyin FC as I missed the last season, but it is not to be."

"The Super Machans and B Stand Blues are the lifeblood of this team and I hope we can meet once again. Thank you all it was an honour," Jeje signed off.

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Jeje Lalpekhlua made 69 appearances for Chennaiyin FC, recording 23 goals and seven assists for them in six seasons. He is the Marina Machans' top scorer in the Indian top flight. In the 2017-18 season, he scored nine goals and was the team’s top scorer, as they went on to lift their maiden title. However, he last played a competitive game more than a year ago -- after which he had to undergo surgery for a knee injury, thereby forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season.

He has also been a regular in the Indian national team since 2011, having netted 23 times across 56 caps till date.