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Chennaiyin FC sign 23-year-old Indian international Vishal Kaith

The Himachal Pradesh-born Indian international, Vishal Kaith, who was formerly in the ranks of Pune City now known as Hyderabad FC, has joined Chennaiyin FC ahead of the Indian Super League 2019-20 season.

Chennaiyin FC sign 23-year-old Indian international Vishal Kaith

Bengaluru, Sep 1: Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) winners Chennaiyin FC have officially confirmed the signing of 23-year-old goalkeeper Vishal Kaith on a long-term deal. The Himachal Pradesh-born Indian international, who was formerly in the ranks of Pune City now known as Hyderabad FC, joined the two-time champions for an undisclosed fee, after spending the previous three seasons at FC Pune City.

"A new chapter awaits in my career, with a champion club in Chennaiyin FC. Their rich history in the ISL made it a very easy decision for me to come here when the opportunity presented itself," said Kaith, who is currently in Goa on international duty with the Indian senior team ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

"I am looking forward to helping the club win more trophies in the years to come. I believe in the coach's (John Gregory's) plans and I am certain Chennaiyin is the right destination for me to take my game and career to the next level."

Kaith, who hails from Rohru town in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, was initially spotted by the state football set up and since then, he never had to look back. He was then groomed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Elite Academy from 2011 to 2014.

The goalkeeper, boasting a frame of 6'2", later joined I-League outfit Shillong Lajong and played for them for three seasons making his name among the best young prospects in Indian football.

During his Lajong tenure, he also had a loan spell with FC Pune City for the 2016 ISL campaign. Kaith eventually made his move to Pune permanently and was instrumental in FCPC reaching the 2017-18 ISL semis, contributing with seven clean sheets in 17 appearances that season.

He has 4 senior caps for India to his name and is likely to add plenty more in the future. Before that, Kaith progressed through the youth ranks and represented India at the U-16, U-19 and U-23 levels. At the 2018 SAFF Championships in which the India U-23s finished runners-up, he kept clean sheets against Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the group games.

Chennaiyin FC boss John Gregory was all but praises for their new recruit at the time of the official announcement of the move.

"In Vishal (Kaith), we're adding a top modern-day goalkeeper to our ranks. He possesses all the qualities and potential to excel at the highest level. With his natural ability and quick reflexes, I am certain Vishal (Kaith) will provide healthy competition in our goalkeeping department as we collectively work towards achieving success in the coming campaign," said Head Coach John Gregory.

CFC's eighth summer signing will join the squad in Ahmedabad for pre-season following his duties with the Indian national team.

Story first published: Sunday, September 1, 2019, 18:05 [IST]
Other articles published on Sep 1, 2019