Indian Super League (ISL) club Jamshedpur FC on Wednesday announced the signing of defender Provat Lakra from NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) on a one-year deal.
Lakra played a crucial role for the Highlanders over the past few seasons, making 36 appearances since joining the club in 2018.
Lakra, 25, can operate as both a right-back and a left-back depending on the need and his superior defensive prowess will help secure the Men of Steel at the back.
Born in Kalyani, West Bengal, Lakra made his name at the youth level with United SC before making his I-League Second Division debut with Southern Samity in the 2016-17 campaign.
Following a successful loan spell at South Indian side Gokulam Kerala in the I-League, he made his big move to the Indian Super League (ISL) with NorthEast United FC in 2018 and spent a number of years there before now jumping ship to the Steel City.
“It’s a real dream for me to play at Jamshedpur FC. The club has promoted young players from the beginning with the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and senior players and TFA graduates like Pronay Halder are already here to help the younger players. I’m sure that with the help of the coaching staff and the team, I can really help the club do well this season and we can get back to winning trophies,” said Provat Lakra on becoming a part of the Jamshedpur FC.
The defender also earned some high praise from the club’s new head coach, Scott Cooper, who has a keen eye for spotting young talent and nurturing their development.
“Provat is an excellent capture for us. At 25 years he is an ideal age and a player who is capable of playing both full-back positions and has valuable ISL experience already,” Cooper said.
“He played almost every game for NorthEast and was a vital part of that team. We feel that Provat fits our profile of players that we are interested in. He is technical and has good speed, his recovery is very good, and he has great crossing abilities along with a great attitude,” he added.