Jamshedpur FC sign former NEUFC goalkeeper Pawan Kumar

The goalkeeper will wear the coveted squad No. 1 for the upcoming ISL season.

Jamshedpur FC signed highly experienced goalkeeper Pawan Kumar as it continued its string of squad announcements for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21. Pawan was signed on a two-year deal which keeps him at the club till 2021.

Pawan most recently plied his trade for NorthEast United FC for whom he raked up 18 appearances over two seasons of ISL with 46 saves and 6 clean sheets. The 30-year-old’s heroics also led NorthEast United to their first-ever play-off spot in the 2018-19 season. The well experienced Pawan, who hails from Gurdaspur in Punjab, is a seasoned winner with a trophy-laden cabinet having won the ISL twice as well I-League and Federation Cup having kept 17 clean sheets in 53 club appearances.

Pawan, who was thrilled to complete his move, said, “I am delighted to have joined Jamshedpur. Looking at the growth of the club over the past three seasons, I always had an ambition to be at the Furnace – it’s like a dream come true. It’s a huge challenge for me as I know we want to qualify for the ISL play-offs in our quest to become champions of India.”

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Pawan continued, “Football is like theatre and there are no performances without a fabulous audience. The fan following in Jharkhand and Jamshedpur is absolutely amazing as the passion for the game runs sky high. The Furnace lights up with over 20,000 spectators each time Jamshedpur plays and I will be pumped up to have these vociferous fans on my side.”

Pawan brings experience and proficiency to the Jamshedpur squad having featured regularly in the I-League and ISL over eight years. He made his debut with Salgaocar and later went on to represent Bengaluru FC, Mumbai FC, Mohun Bagan and Chennaiyin FC. The goalkeeper was a crucial member of the Bengaluru FC squad which won the I-League in 2014 and Federation Cup in 2015.

Jamshedpur FC Head Coach, Owen Coyle, praised the goalkeeper’s capabilities as he said, “Pawan has proven over many seasons that he is one of the outstanding goalkeepers in India. It’s a position in which we were looking to strengthen ourselves and I am certain that he will do a good job in goal. He is confident, vocal in commanding the defense line, excellent with his positioning and can make himself big against the best of the finishers in the league. I am excited to be working with him.”