ISL Transfers : Jamshedpur to offer a contract extension to Augustin Fernandes
After roping in the likes of Joyner Lourenco and Keegan Pereira, Jamshedpur FC is all set to extend centre-back Augustin Fernandes's stay at the club for at least another season, Sportskeeda has learnt.
Thr 30-year-old Goan defender started his youth career with the SESA Football Academy before getting his first professional contract with I-League side Salgaocar SC in 2011.
Fernandes spent his next five years with the Greens, scoring 8 goals in 98 games in the I-League, Federation Cup, Durand Cup and the Goa Professional League. His five-year stint at the club also included a couple of loan deals to Indian Super League sides Atletico de Kolkata (now ATK) and FC Pune City in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
For Atletico de Kolkata in 2015, he made 13 appearances, scoring once during the season. For Pune, he played in 4 matches in the 2016 ISL season.
Augustin Fernandes earned his first Indian Super League contract on a permanent basis in 2017 when he was roped in by ATK. However, he couldn't appear in a single game throughout the season. A year later, on 25 January 2019, Jamshedpur FC came to his rescue and roped him up on a year-long deal in the winter transfer window.
Fernandes got to play three games, and also managed to score in the final game of the league in a 5-1 home win over Bengaluru FC. However, Fernandes was benched on the only Super Cup game the club featured in a 4-3 loss to FC Goa.
Augustin Fernandes's stay at the club will provide impetus to the club at the back after the addition of Lourenco and Pereira at the back. The Reds seem to only focus on the Defence right now and Fernandes will be a good addition for sure, given his ability to play up the field in the need of scoring a goal. Fernandes also can play as an adjustable side-back with ovelapping runs.
Adding to his versatile defensive role, Fernandes will look to start afresh at Jamshedpur with a new role of a Husband. Fernandes married long-time girlfriend Ciana Vaz in Goa on Saturday.
Will his life's second innings play a role in his career? We can only wait.