Kerala Blasters make late signing, loan Rahul Bheke from East Bengal

RAHUL BHEKE IS HAVING HIS BEST stint in the limelight till date. The East Bengal defender suddenly became popular with the fans when he scored the fourth goal against arch rivals Mohun Bagan during the high-voltage Kolkata Derby on 6th September.

Playing for a club outside Mumbai for the first time in his career, many were worried that the ex Air India, Mumbai Tigers and Mumbai FC man might have trouble making himself at home in his new club and coping with the high pressure and scrutiny that comes from playing at one of the top clubs in Kolkata. But his performance in many of the Calcutta Football League matches have proved such speculations wrong, and the goal he scored at the death of the Derby just sweetens the deal. 

But the cherry on the top arrived for the 24 year old arrived when Kerala Blasters picked him up on loan from East Bengal as a late signing ahead of the 2nd edition of the Indian Super League. 

Although his name was included in the 2015 ISL Domestic Draft pool of players, his name was not called out by any of the eight franchises during the selection process. But his exploits during the CFL seems to have paid off. 

At the Blasters' he will join the likes of Carlos Marchena, Bruno Perone, Peter Ramage, Gurwinder Singh and Marcus Williams, among others in a sturdy defensive line up. It will be interesting to see how much playing time the tall, robust Maharashtrian defender will get in the upcoming ISL, but the opportunity to gather experience that has come his way is quite significant at this stage in his career.