Subrata Paul returns to ATK Mohun Bagan on loan deal from Hyderabad

The veteran goalkeeper started his professional career with the Mariners.

ATK Mohun Bagan have acquired Subrata Paul’s services, yet again, after almost two decades. The club announced Paul's transfer on a loan deal from Hyderabad FC just a day before this season’s second Kolkata Derby. The seasoned custodian comes to the Kolkata-based side after not getting any game-time for the Nizams.

Paul had begun his career with Mohun Bagan back in 2004 right after graduating from the Tata Football Academy. Since then, he has become one of India’s most celebrated goalkeepers in its football history. The Arjuna Awardee has 67 national team appearances under his belt. He was also a member of India’s 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cup-winning teams.

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Nicknamed as the “Spiderman of India,” Subrata Paul made his Indian Super League debut back in 2014 with Mumbai City FC. After two seasons with the Islanders, he moved to NorthEast United, before signing for Jamshedpur FC in the 2017-18 campaign. In the same term, Subrata was the recipient of the Golden Glove award. He had managed to keep seven clean-sheets in 18 games.

Subrata Paul at Hyderabad FC

His time with Hyderabad FC has not been the most productive. In the first season as the Nizams' goalkeeper, he featured only six times and kept two-clean sheets. In January, he moved to the Red and Gold side of Kolkata and finished the remainder of the season with SC East Bengal. This season, he became used to playing second fiddle to Laxmikant Kattimani, who has been playing exceptionally well.

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ATK Mohun Bagan’s decision to sign a goalkeeper comes after their second-choice custodian Avilash Paul sustained a serious injury, ruling him out of the remainder of ISL 2021-22 season. While Subrata Paul comes in just 24 hours before the derby, it is highly unlikely that he would be donning the Green and Maroon jersey so soon. The Mariners defeated SC East Bengal 3-0 in the reverse fixture. A win against their arch-rivals would see them propel from the eighth position into the top four.

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