Promising young striker Rahul Raju has joined Gokulam Kerala FC, IFTWC can confirm.
“The Reigning I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC have completed the signing of 18-year-old Bengaluru FC striker Rahul Raju on a season-long loan deal,” a source close to the development informed IFTWC.
Born in Kerala, Raju started playing football at an early age in various age-level competitions and tournaments. Before he started playing professionally, Rahul played for clubs like United Kochin FC and SB FA POOVAR. His talent didn’t go unnoticed as Bengaluru FC scouts were able to find him through their vast network and since then he was been part of the Bengaluru FC reserves team.
Rahul was lethal when it came to scoring goals, as he bagged the golden boot in the inaugural edition of the Reliance Football Developmental League. With seven goals to his name, Raju was a nightmare for defenders with his brilliant finishing and a threatening presence in the box. The forward massively contributed to his side’s title-winning campaign, coming up clutch in determining matches.
Raju was widely praised for his scintillating and eye-catching performance in the Developmental League, to such an extent that at one point he was linked with Kerala Blasters FC. He himself acknowledged his wish to play for the Yellow Army in an interview. But the move didn’t occur and all of it resulted in a surprising omission from the Bengaluru FC squad for the 2022 NextGen Cup in the United Kingdom.
For Gokulam Kerala FC, the club is currently preparing for life after coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese. Having appointed Cameroonian coach, Richard Towa, the club is moving through the process of recruiting players for the upcoming season to replace the household former players like Jithin MS, Emil Benny, Alex Saji, Muhammed Uvais, and Rakshid Dagar who have all left for the Indian Super League.
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