Scouting Report- Bidyashagar Singh: East Bengal's dashing young forward

The 22-year-old forward has shown glimpses of his talent several times while playing for the Red and Gold.

Khel Now looks at one of the brightest youngsters to come out of East Bengal’s academy in recent years – Bidyashagar Singh who has also impressed at the senior level. After excelling in the youth setup, Singh played a prominent part in East Bengal’s pre-season campaign last campaign.

The feisty forward has an unpredictable factor to him and proved himself as a cunning goalscorer for the Red and Gold last season. While he didn't feature prominently in the I-League, his impressive work elsewhere proved that he possesses a special spark.

Singh has the potential to make big things happen in the near future and his decision-making will be key to where he ends up in the Indian football ladder.

Scouting Report

Name: Bidyashagar Singh

Age: 22

Date of Birth: 11th March 1998

Position: Forward

Background

Bidyashagar saw his career fast-tracked at East Bengal after excelling in the 2016-17 U-18 I-League, where he scored six goals to help them reach the final. He also impressed for Bengal in the 2018 Santosh Trophy, scoring four goals to help them get to the showpiece.

It was his impressive work at the youth level which saw him get an opportunity in East Bengal’s Calcutta Football League (CFL) and Durand Cup sides last season. He had a very good couple of games in the Durand, being the second-highest scorer with five goals, including a match-winning brace against Bengaluru FC Reserves.

Further, he also featured in the CFL scoring three goals despite only getting a handful of starts. Alejandro Menendez preferred to use him as an impact substitute, often not leveraging his full potential.

The I-League was all set to be Bidyashagar’s breakthrough campaign, but East Bengal’s difficult few months saw his opportunities limited. Eventually, Singh only got a few games and wasn’t helped by the controversies revolving around the club.

Nonetheless, he still ended last season as one of the club’s top scoring Indian stars. Whenever he did play, his blitzing style helped him outwit and outmanoeuvre opponents with ease.

Positives

The Manipuri lad has the traits of a fiery forward, zooming all around the final third looking to cause chaos. He can also operate as a winger occasionally but is at his best in the central areas.

Bidyashagar Singh has enough pace to leave opponents gasping for breath, while he also has the decisiveness of a promising goalscorer. The 22-year-old’s ability to sniff out chances in attack, get behind defenders and finish off moves with utmost efficiency validates his goalscoring instincts.

He knows exactly where to slot his shots to beat the goalkeeper. He also has a hint of creativity to his game, often finding his teammates in promising positions with his distribution skills.

But, his biggest asset is the unpredictability around his game. Singh knows how to crop up in dangerous situations out of nowhere. His impressive instincts, movement and efficiency allow him to be a promising attacker.

Aspects to Improve

Bidyashagar Singh had everything in him to start games for East Bengal in the I-League this season, but perhaps fitness issues held him back.

The 22-year-old was often used from the bench in the dying minutes of the game, which perhaps indicates that he can’t maintain his high-octane style for longer periods of time.

Moreover, the budding forward needs to build some muscle in order to thrive in the big leagues. He is still not able to physically go toe-to-toe with senior defenders and he needs to improve his structure to thrive as a top-level striker.

Similar To

Bidyashagar Singh resembles Jeje Lalpekhlua in the way he finds opportunities for himself by slotting into all the right areas. His precise finishing skills and ruthlessness in front of goal show similarities with the Chennaiyin FC striker.

Perhaps he has more pace on his side (due to his age). But, if he can further hone his clinical traits in the goalscoring department, he could follow in Jeje’s footsteps to become one of the finest strikers.

Future

Bidyashagar Singh has been with East Bengal for enough time to find a pathway into the senior team next season. He possesses enough potential to play at the very top and should receive more minutes at the club if he keeps impressing next season.

If he maintains a strong fitness level and has another prolific pre-season with the Red & Gold Brigaders next season, he should start more often and get a chance to prove his bombastic nature at the bigger stages.