Jessel Carneiro signs new three-year contract at Kerala Blasters

The left-back became a fan-favourite at the club with his excellent performances in his debut season.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters have announced that Jessel Carneiro has signed a three-year extension with the club. By putting pen to paper, he has made himself available to the Kochi outfit until 2023.

Kerala Blasters officially announced the news on Wednesday evening via their social media accounts. "Jessel Carneiro puts pen to paper and extends his contract with the club to 2023," the announcement read.

During their 2019-20 ISL campaign, Carneiro stood out as one of the Blasters' most impressive players, even as the team continued its disappointing run for the third successive year and failed to reach the play-offs yet again. The left-back recorded the most number of appearances (18) at the club, the most number of passes (746) and the most assists (5) among his teammates during the season. He was also responsible for a total of 22 interceptions, the joint-highest at Kerala Blasters alongside Moustapha Gning.

Although the 28-year-old has built an impressive resume by playing for Dempo SC, Churchill Brothers, Pune FC, Salgaocar FC and the Goa state team to name a few, injuries had a negative impact on his career early on. He hence had to wait until last year to finally seal a move to the Indian top-flight, thanks to the Yellow Army. It turned out to be a mutually beneficial move for Carneiro and the Blasters as he quickly established himself as a fan-favourite.

Now that he has signed a new deal with the Kerala Blasters, Jessel Carneiro would definitely be eager to continue performing at his highest level for them. His contract extension bodes well for the club as well, as it will undoubtedly hand them a huge boost and further fuel their progress in the ongoing transfer window.

Speaking about his new deal with Blasters, Carneiro said, "I want to be a part of KBFC's history, a part of the team that wins the ISL."

"This club gave me the platform to prove myself and I can't wait to get back to work with our new coach (Kibu Vicuna)," he concluded.