Two-time Indian Super League finalists Kerala Blasters recruit former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov on a one-year contract
Over the last couple of months, some massive names from the world of football have made their way into the Indian Super League. The latest star to have agreed to grace the ISL with his languid demeanor is Dimitar Berbatov.
The former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker will earn a staggering ₹7.5 crores for four months of ISL action in the 2017-18 season.
As reported by Daily Mail, this has made him the third-highest paid player in ISL history after Alexandro Del Piero, who was roped in by the Delhi Dynamos in the inaugural 2014 season, and Robbie Keane, who was signed earlier in the summer by two-time ISL champions Atletico de Kolkata.
Berbatov’s move will see him reunite with former Manchester United teammate Wes Brown, and also with Rene Meulensteen, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant from 2007 to 2013. The 36-year old was signed from Greek side PAOK after he became a free agent this summer.
The Bulgarian is his country’s all-time top scorer with 48 goals in 79 appearances. He scored 20 plus goals in four consecutive seasons for Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur, before moving to Manchester United in 2008 and winning two Premier League titles with the Red Devils.
Never thought I’d see Berbatov wearing a Muthoot sponsored t-shirt. #WelcomeToIndiaBerba pic.twitter.com/Eohokx8Qwv
— Abhishek Nair (@Abhi1Nair) August 19, 2017
For young Indian forwards like Prasanth Karuthadathkuni and Karan Sawhney, Berbatov’s arrival could serve as a tremendous learning experience.
And with Iain Hume still with the Blasters, his partnership upfront with Berbatov is a mouth-watering prospect, one that could finally bring the elusive ISL trophy to Kerala. While Hume is the rugged, pacy forward who is always seen breathing down the defender’s neck, Berbatov has an almost lazy presence.
However, he comes to life in the blink of eye and is capable of producing sublime moments time and again, as he has shown throughout his career.
Berbatov has never been the kind of player to stamp his authority on the pitch, and after being out of touch with football for a few months, it’ll be interesting to see how the Bulgarian performs for the team that boasts India’s most passionate fans.
