5 players with the most appearances for Kerala Blasters
Over the years, Kerala Blasters Football Club has become more than just a club. Kerala Blasters has a plethora of passionate fans. Even though the club is just six years old, it has transformed into one that has united people from different parts of the world.
The players who represent the Kerala Blasters are more than mere mortals for the fans. These are the men who carry the hopes and ambitions of the supporters. The players of Kerala Blasters represent the heartbeat of the club.
Players like Sandesh Jhingan, Iain Hume and Bartholomew Ogbeche are some players who have a special connection and bond with Kerala Blasters. On this note, let's have a look at the top five players with the most appearances for Kerala Blasters FC in the club's six years of existence.
Five Kerala Blasters players with the most appearances:
#4 Prasanth K
Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, commonly known as Prashanth K, is one of the local players for Kerala Blasters. He played for the AIFF Elite Academy and for DSK Shivajians youth teams before joining Kerala Blasters in 2016, which was his first professional club.
In the 2016 season, Prasanth K didn't play a minute for Kerala Blasters. But subsequently, he found opportunities to start games and show his potential. The player has played 31 matches for Kerala Blasters, and has a goal to his name. Prasanth is a well-known figure in the Kerala Blasters team, owing to the fact that he is one of the local players in the squad.
Prasanth K has a lot of room for improvement and in time may become one of the key players for Kerala Blasters.
#T3 Mehtab Hossain
Mehtab Hossain has been a part of Kerala Blasters since the first season of the ISL. He has played 38 games in three seasons for the men in yellow.
The former defensive midfielder was a seasoned campaigner for the national team as well as at the club level. Mehtab Hossain has played for a flurry of other clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC.
In the first season of the ISL, Mehtab Hossain has made nine appearances. He was subsequently retained for two more seasons by Kerala Blasters, playing 13 and 16 matches respectively.
The former Indian international played for Jamshedpur FC and Mohun Bagan for one season each before hanging his boots. Mehtab Hossain is now the coach of Southern Samity.
#T3 Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad needs no introduction. The wonderboy from Kerala has won the hearts of Kerala Blasters fans and is now a key part of the club.
Picked up by Kerala Blasters scouts before the 2017-18 ISL season, Samad was selected to play for the club's reserves in the I-League second division where he played 10 games. After scoring seven goals, he was promoted to the first team. He didn't find much game-time in the 2017-18 season but became a regular for Kerala Blasters in 2018-19.
Samad has been a ray of hope for the Men In Yellow. He has been the shining light in ISL for the Kerala Blasters. He won the emerging player of the league award in the 2018-19 ISL season, but struggled to get minutes under Eelco Schattorie in the 2019-20 season.
Sahal Abdul Samad has played 38 matches for Kerala Blasters, scoring once. But the numbers are expected to rise as he has been retained by the club till 2022.
#2 CK Vineeth
CK Vineeth is one of the best Indian players to have played for Kerala Blasters, scoring 11 goals for the club in 43 appearances.
He was drafted in the team before the 2015 ISL season but failed to impress in his debut campaign. However, he grabbed the attention of football fans when he scored five goals in nine games in the 2016 ISL season. Vineeth scored some crucial goals that took the Blasters to the final where they were defeated by ATK.
Vineeth was retained for the next two seasons by Kerala Blasters, where he scored six goals in 24 games. Things got ugly after he was loaned to Chennaiyin FC, though. Vineeth and Manjappada were involved in a legal tussle, where the former accused the club's fan group for cyber-bullying.
Even though his departure from Kerala Blasters was in bad taste, Vineeth remains an important part of the club's history.
#1 Sandesh Jhingan
Sandesh Jhingan sits at the top of the perch for most appearances for the Kerala Blasters.
He was drafted by Kerala Blasters in 2014 and soon became a crucial player for the club. He played 14 games that season and won the Emerging Player of The Season award. That was the start of an amazing story, as Jhingan went on to represent the Kerala Blasters for five more seasons. He was nothing short of a legend for Kerala Blasters.becoming a club icon in the process.
Jhingan made 78 appearances for Kerala Blasters across six seasons. His last season at the club was disappointing, though, as he was injured throughout the season. He had a contract till 2023, but shockingly, the club and Sandesh Jhingan decided to mutually part.
Kerala Blasters retired Jhingan's jersey number 21 as a tribute to his unparalleled contribution and dedication to the club.