Odisha FC announce Nikhil Raj signing on loan from Kickstart FC

The 20-year-old had made nine appearances for the AIFF development side in the I-League.

As reported by Khel Now earlier, Odisha FC has reached an agreement with Kickstart FC over a loan deal of young Indian midfielder Nikhil Raj who will now play for the Bhubaneswar-based side during the upcoming eighth edition of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL).

The 20-year-old has been a part of the Karnataka team in two editions of the Santosh Trophy and was awarded the best midfielder in the BDFA Super Division last season. He went on loan to the Indian Arrows made nine appearances for them in the previous season of the I-League.

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Expressing his delight, Nikhil said, “I am very happy. I am very excited to play in the Indian Super League. I expect to learn a lot of things there, and I know it's a big opportunity for me. I am very excited to play for Odisha FC.”

Odisha FC Club President Mr. Raj Athwal mentioned, "We are pleased to welcome highly rated Nikhil Raj. A versatile player, the young talent has the opportunity to showcase his ability at the Premier level of Indian football."

About Nikhil Raj

Hailing from Murphy Town, Bangalore, Karnataka – Nikhil Raj began his career with Kickstart FC as a means to support his widowed mother. His efforts first bore fruit in late 2018, when he, along with a teammate was selected to train with the U-19 squad of Esbjerg fB. Esbjerg is a Danish Superliga club and also the former employers of ATK Mohun Bagan’s new signing Joni Kauko.

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In January 2020, Nikhil joined Indian Arrows on a shot-term loan move that resulted in him featuring in the I-League. He made his debut for the Arrows on January 26, in a 2-0 defeat against Real Kashmir. The 20-year-old was a first-choice starter in all the nine league matches that he played in that season. Later, the outbreak of COVID-19 meant that I-League 20190-20 had to be cancelled. That, in turn, led to his return to Kickstart in May.

Although a forward primarily, Nikhil can also play as a midfielder. In the 2020-21 season, the versatile youngster featured in the BDFA Super Division League. He led his team to a fourth-place finish, behind the eventual champions FC Bengaluru United, Bengaluru FC Reserves and MEG FC.

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