Nishu Kumar

A 19 year old left back hailing from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Nishu was picked up by Bengaluru FC late ast year after he graduated from the AIFF Elite Academy. 

A speedy player known for his swift overlapping capabilities and precisely driven crosses, he represented India U-19 3 times. He made his senior team debut in the AFC Cup, no less, on 13th April this year as Bengaluru FC hosted Ayeyawadi United. Westwood surprised everybody by resting the big guns for a crucial I-League game and playing a young, all-Indian side. BFC won that game 5-3. 

His next appearance was a tough one; a second string Bengaluru side took on Mohun Bagan away from home in the last game of the I-League season. They had already won the league, and the boys received a 5-0 drudging from the Mariners. But Nishu had done enough in those two outings to impress his coach, who featured him prominently in the upcoming games in Federation Cup and AFC Cup, a trend that continued under new coach Albert Roca. He was a part of the core squad that had a historic AFC Cup run all the way to the grand finale.

Fast forward a couple of months and Nishu is now looking forward to his first full league season. Maturing steadily under the protective wings of the club, he is one of the most exciting young prospects of the season, and seems to be edging closer to getting a call from Stephen Constantine.