Bengaluru FC have signed defender Hira Mondal, IFTWC can confirm.
“Hira attracted interest from a couple of ISL clubs. While East Bengal intended to retain Hira Mondal and extend his contract, it was Bengaluru FC who edged in the race to sign him,” a source close to the development informed IFTWC.
About Hira Mondal and his past tenures
Born in Kolkata, Hira started playing football with the local amateur team Calcutta Port Trust in 2015. Hira signed for Calcutta Football League (CFL) side Rainbow AC in 2016. After that, the 25-year-old full-back swapped sides for a fellow CFL club Tollygunge Agramani in 2017 and Peerless SC in 2018. In the past, Hira Mondal has also represented his native state West Bengal in the Santosh Trophy.
In September 2018, Hira Mondal signed for Kolkata giants East Bengal FC when the club was playing in the I-League. But it was a difficult outing for the defender as he could only manage to get only 5 appearances in the entire 2018-19 season and was subsequently released from the squad during the mid-season.
In July 2019, Hira signed for another Kolkata-based side Mohammedan SC who were plying their trade in the CFL and were in a quest to qualify for the I-League. Hira was part of the squad that qualified for the I-League 2020/21 season and was a key player of the team as it made it to the championship stage and finished in the 6th position.
Mondal made 14 appearances for Mohammedan SC in the 2020/21 Hero I-League season, scoring twice and providing one assist. Mondal was a rock at the back for Mohammedan SC, showing composure on the ball and aggression off it.
Stockily built, the Kolkata-based footballer became one of the hottest prospects in the I-League on the back of some consistent performances. Mondal was named in the 2020-21 Hero I-League’s team of the season after a string of stellar performances for the Black Panthers.
In September 2021, Hira was signed by East Bengal for the ISL 2021-22 season making his second stint with the club. Hira joined the club before the start of the season from Mohammedan SC and has been very impressive for the Red and Gold Brigades on both the defensive front and the left flank while attacking ever since then. Hira appeared in 16 matches for the Torchbearers last season.
Although Hira didn’t score any goals nor did he assist his teammates, he had an impressive record for defensive work rate with an astonishing 57 clearances, 35 blocks, 29 interceptions, and 49 tackles throughout the season. With a 26.25 average passes/game and a 56.19% passing accuracy, Hira proved why he is so promising and dangerous while attacking as well since he loves to bomb forward.
Bengaluru FC will have a massive upgrade to their defence after signing Hira Mondal. The Blues have been aiming to qualify for the ISL playoffs for the last two seasons. The last time the team made it to the ISL playoffs was the 2019/20 season.
The Blues finished in the 6th position in the ISL table last season. Having Hira at the back alongside experienced fullbacks like Roshan, Parag, Prabir and others, Bengaluru FC will hope to make waves of crosses from the flanks to make sure the team scores more goals in the next season under coach Simon Grayson.
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