The 23-year-old was the leading Indian assist provider and third overall in the 2021-22 ISL season with seven assists in 17 matches and was the first-choice set-piece taker for Bengaluru FC.
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A young lad from Manipur, Naorem Roshan Singh who joined Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC in 2018 as an U-18 youth player has now grown into one of the most exciting prospects in Indian football. The 23-year-old full-back’s brilliance in the 2021-22 ISL season earned him a national call-up and in his international debut, provided the assist for Rahul Bheke’s goal against Bahrain on Thursday. Although the Blue Tigers lost the international friendly against Bahrain 2-1, India head coach Igor Stimac has lavished praise on the debutant.
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Sensational ✨#HeroISL 2021-22 Emerging Player of the Season Awardee, Roshan Singh has been a valuable addition for @bengalurufc, aiding them in both attack and defence! ?#LetsFootball #BengaluruFC #RoshanSingh pic.twitter.com/KGv4xnS8v2
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 22, 2022
“I am very happy about young Roshan Singh who confirmed he is a future Indian star — not just in the Indian Super League, but also at the international stage,” said Igor Stimac to AIFF Media Team.
Bengaluru FC didn’t have a great ISL season as they finished sixth in the league but Roshan was the find of the tournament. The youngster was the leading Indian assist provider and third overall in the season with seven assists in 17 matches and was the first-choice set-piece taker. He went on to win the 2021-22 Hero ISL Emerging Player of the year award for his breakthrough season.
Rohan’s only goal of the season came against Kerala Blasters FC through a brilliant free-kick in the 56th-minute of the game that helped the Blues to secure a 1-0 victory and put an end to KBFC’s 10-match unbeaten run. The free-kick goal was yet another example of what talent and skill he possesses. KBFC keeper, Prabhsukhan Gill, who went on to win the Golden Glove award, didn’t have a valid answer to that left-footed strike from Roshan.
BFC had a poor start to the campaign losing 4 out of their 6 opening games and went winless for a run of 7 games. But then Roshan’s Hero of the Match worthy performance against Chennaiyin FC brought the club back on its track, creating two chances, five tackles and six clearances.
Roshan started his football career in the BC Roy Junior National Championship for his home state Manipur after which he caught the attention of AIFF scouts. From there, he spent the next couple of years at the AIFF Elite Academy in Goa, before playing for Indian Arrows in the I-League. Then, he represented India at the AFC U19 Championship qualifiers in Saudi Arabia after which BFC came calling.
He had a steady growth in his career. While playing for the BFC B team , he scored 7 goals in 26 matches. And then, under Naushad Moosa when BFC switched to a 4-4-2 formation Roshan had a few appearances as the left midfielder. However it was under Marco Pezzaiuoli, that the Manipur footballer rose to lime light.
Initially he was included as backup full-back for the AFC Cup campaign. When Ashique Kuruniyan got injured, Roshan was given a go and he grabbed it with both hands. He started as a left-back and impressed everyone with his creativity and ability to deliver quality crosses.
Although physically he isn’t the strongest or biggest on the pitch, the 23-year-old has a good footballing brain. He has good positional awareness and is versatile enough to play at both the flanks and one of the reasons for his versatility is that he is a bi-footed player. His heatmap and numbers justify that he is equally capable in both positions.
The defender responded to big occasions and matched them with big performances. Against Mumbai City FC, Roshan racked up two assists while creating four chances to help his side secure a dominant 3-0 win. Roshan ended the season with 77 tackles, 27 interceptions, 40 clearances and 37 blocks to highlight his memorable campaign.
India will next play Belarus on March 26 and Roshan could be handed his first international start. The youngster has got a strong technique to excel at the big stage and it is just a matter of time before we see him achieve greater heights.
