5 youngsters who have made the most of their chances in the ISL
The Indian Super League was started not just to spread the charm and beauty of football throughout the country, but also to ensure that talented footballers get the opportunity to come forward and showcase their abilities on the big stage.
All the ISL franchises have developed and worked on pre-decided grassroots programmes, which have been really successful so far. While youngsters like Romeo Fernandes took the first season by storm, the flamboyant performances of quite a few other Indian and international young guns have caught the eye too. These budding stars have done their teams proud, and have frequently stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their more experienced and accomplished colleagues.
Here, we take a look at five such youngsters who have made their mark in the third edition of the ISL:
#1 Richard Gadze
This young Ghanaian was the talk of ISL 2015, where he scored four goals and set up a few more to help take his Delhi Dynamos team to the semi-finals for the first time. This season he has soared even higher, with his performance in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Mumbai City FC being the highlight - he scored one goal and set up another in a display filled with quality and inventiveness.
Last year, Gadze linked up with Robin Singh very well, and this year he seems to be doing the same with Frenchman Florent Malouda, Delhi’s marquee player. The 22-year-old is gifted with lightning pace and brilliant shooting prowess, which he has been using to great effect so far in his ISL career.