Anirudh Thapa joins Mohun Bagan Super Giant on five-year deal
The midfielder joins the club from Kolkata after spending seven illustrious years with the Marina Machans.
New Delhi, June 23: Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Mohun Bagan Super Giant has signed midfielder Anirudh Thapa of Chennaiyin FC on a five-year contract, the club announced on Friday.
The midfielder joins the club from Kolkata after spending seven illustrious years with the Marina Machans.
A dream come true for Anirudh Thapa 💚♥️#MBSG #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন pic.twitter.com/8uBPxbdZlf
— Supergiant Mohun Bagan (@mohunbagansg) June 23, 2023
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to play for the reigning ISL champions. The green and maroon jersey has a huge influence on Indian football. I’m eagerly looking forward to wearing this sweater. I am determined to do my best and make the supporters happy,” Thapa said after signing for his new club on the dotted line.
When revealed as a Mohun Bagan Super Giant player, Thapa opened his transfer revealing that his dream was to play for the Green and Maroons in front of the thousands of supporters in the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
“Kolkata is the hub of Indian football. My dream of playing in this city will finally come true. I have been hearing about the derby game since I started playing football. Whenever I was in Kolkata whether it be for the Indian Arrows or for national youth camps in Kalyani, I used to travel to the Yuba Bharati Krirangan to watch the derby match,” said Thapa.
“Everyone always said you have to be a star to play in the derby. Now that dream is about to come true. I still can’t believe I’ll be playing in front of thousands and thousands of supporters, waving their flags and banners will come to cheer on me and the team,” he added.
A graduate of the AIFF Elite Academy, Thapa joined Chennaiyin FC in 2016, a year after the side was crowned champions of the ISL. However, the midfielder’s debut season was short-lived as he only made one appearance, but he fell short when he provided an assist in his only match.
In the following seasons, the then 19-year-old established his authority in midfield and cemented his place in the team. The central midfielder was instrumental in his side’s second ISL title win of the 2017-18 season. Known for his vision of taking the ball to the final third, Thapa scored two goals and provided one assist in their title-winning campaign.
His distinct style of play made him a cornerstone midfielder, able to play a variety of midfield roles under multiple coaches over the course of several seasons. Moreover, the midfielder became a banner of the side and etched his name in the hearts of the Chennaiyin FC faithful.
Thapa’s pinnacle performance for Chennaiyin FC came under Scottish head coach Owen Coyle with the midfielder providing six assists and scoring one goal in the 2019-2020 season where the side made a miraculous upturn in the second half of the season and reached the final. The Dehradun-born player registered the second most number of assists of any Indian player, behind only FC Goa’s Brandon Fernandes that season (8).
The midfielder also proved his mettle on the international stage in 2019 when Chennaiyin FC took on Manansang Marsyang and Minerva Punjab in the AFC Cup, where Thapa assisted in each of those matches.
With 125 appearances over six years in Chennaiyin FC’s blue, Thapa is Marina Machan’s highest capped player, with 12 goals and 17 assists in his time with Chennaiyin FC.
Thapa will once again enter the international stage with Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the AFC Cup and will try to prove himself as the difference in the team and lead the team to success on the continental stage.
“I have had countless international victories while playing for the national team. Now I aim to secure club-level triumphs with MBSG. Winning the AFC Cup will be a challenge. There are many hurdles, but I think we should take it as a challenge and strive to finish in a commendable position,” said Thapa.