Narender became the second-youngest goal-scorer in India's history when he headed home against Syria in the intercontinental Cup in 2019.
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Indian Super League (ISL) side Odisha FC on Wednesday announced the signing of defender Narender Gahlot from Jamshedpur FC on a three-year deal which will keep the 21-year-old at the club until May 2025. The youngster came through the Chandigarh Football Academy and joined the Indian Arrows in 2017. Narender’s two-year stint with the development side helped him grow as a footballer and ISL outfit Jamshedpur FC quickly came calling. India national team head coach Igor Stimac handed him his international debut in the intercontinental Cup in 2019. Narender is a physically well-built footballer who has all the attributes to reach the top echelons of Indian football.Â
We are delighted to announce that we have reached an agreement with Narender Gahlot which will keep him at the club till 2025. ✍️?
OFC x @NarenderGahlot#OdishaFC #AmaTeamAmaGame
— Odisha FC (@OdishaFC) June 1, 2022
During the early days, Narender started his career as a midfielder before turning into a central defender by his coach. The youngster quickly grabbed the attention of the national coaches and was signed by Indian Arrows, where he made 14 appearances across all competitions in two seasons. In the 2018-19 campaign Narender made 13 appearances for the development side across all competitions and his solid performances at the back earned him a senior national team call-up. Narender made his international debut in the intercontinental cup against Tajikistan in July 2019.Â
And then, only in his second appearance for the national team, the youngster became the second youngest goal-scorer for the Blue Tigers ever. At the age of 18, he scored a phenomenal header in the 51st minute of the game to give India a 1-0 lead, only to see the Syrian captain counter with a goal of his own in the 78th minute, with the score at the final whistle being tied at 1-1. This also just happened to make him the very first Indian, born in the 21st century, to score an international goal in a non-friendly match. Narender is undoubtedly one of the finest talents at India’s disposal and he could become the face of Odisha FC’s defence in the 2022-23 season.Â
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He won the 2021-22 ISL Winners shield with the Red Miners. The 21-year-old formed a solid defensive partnership with Peter Hartleyb and Eli Sabia. He made 15 appearances for JFC under head coach Owen Coyle’s tutelage and is expected to get more game time at the Bhubaneswar-based club in the future. After signing Narender, Odisha Fc presiden said: “Narender brings a lot of quality and a winning mentality to our backline. As a young center-back, he has a lot of potential and we hope that he plays his best football for Odisha FC. We would like to welcome Narender to the Juggernauts,”Â
