It was a dream to play in the ISL, says former Bengal captain Monotosh Chakladar as he joins Chennaiyin FC

Bengal’s Santosh Trophy team captain Monotosh Chakladar was in Indian Super League clubs’ radar for several years but finally he got his chance as he was snapped up by Chennaiyin FC following a superb Santosh Trophy campaign. Although his team lost in the finals against Kerala, Chakladar’s performance caught the eye of many scouts and experts.

The defender from Bengal had a very tough journey up until now but with the ISL contract Chakladar’s life has changed completely as he feels that he is living the dream. A journey that took a lot of sacrifice has finally managed to reach the top tier of Indian football after many years.

The young defender recently shared his dream come true moment in an interaction with Sportskeeda. Sharing his emotions after signing for Chennaiyin FC, the young defender said, ““It was my dream to enter the ISL and I’m glad that I’m playing for a big club like Chennaiyin FC.”

Chakladar started his football journey from Union Sports Club and has played in several clubs in the Calcutta Football League before joining Peerless SC and then they went on to create history by winning the CFL title in 2019. Chakladar was one of the most consistent players in defence for the club as they scripted a sensational feat.

Then the pandemic came in and life changed completely for CHakladar. But when he became the Bengal Santosh Trophy captain, he knew that a good performance at this tournament can turn heads and that’s what happened for the 24-year-old.

Speaking about ISL, he shared how his previous clubs used to have one physio but at Chennaiyin there are multiple physios helping the players. He spoke about the difference in facilities and felt honoured to finally be a part of the former ISL champions, Chennaiyin FC.

“There’s a massive difference (at a Hero ISL club). The clubs I represented earlier had only one physio, but here we have three to four physios. We also have good masseurs, top foreign coaches, and an experienced Indian coach in Syed Sabir Pasha,” the Bengal captain pointed out.

Chakladar also shared how he has know got an idea of what he should eat and what he should avoid at any cost. “Our physical trainer is managing the dietary requirements of the team. I’ve now learned what to eat and what to avoid. As a professional player, you can’t ask for more when you get so many facilities from a club,” he added.

Lastly when asked about the things that he is looking forward to, the young defender shared how he wants to play against star forwards like Alvaro Vazquez, Hugo Boumous and Bartholomew Ogbeche. He wants to relish this opportunity of playing in the top tier of Indian football and hence he wants to turn up against these ISL stars.  “I’m looking forward to my duels with Hugo Boumous, Bartholomew Ogbeche and Alvaro Vazquez,” he concluded.