East Bengal FC are all set to rope in 30-year-old Spaniard Borja Herrera, IFTWC can confirm.
“Spanish Midfielder Borja Herrera was never in advance talks with FC Goa. It’s a sensible signing for East Bengal FC as the player has grown his reputation in the league since arriving last season, and also he doesn’t cost as much as some of the other ISL foreigners,” a source has informed IFTWC.
Borja will look to turn around the fortunes of the Legacy old club next season. East Bengal FC had a difficult three years since coming to the ISL back in the 20/21 season. The Kolkata Maidaan-based club has finished in 9th position twice, and once in the 11th position of the ISL league stage table.
Borja predominantly operates on the left side of the midfield or defense. A versatile and technically gifted footballer, Herrera has played most of his career in Spain, for several Spanish clubs from the lower divisions like Union Viera, CD Tudelona, Unionistas de Salamanca CF, and UD Tamaraceite.
His biggest spells however came with UD Las Palmas, his hometown club and a club he represented in his youth. After helping the B-side of Las Palmas (Las Palmas Atletico) in their promotion to the third division, he was finally promoted to the main squad ahead of the 2017–18 season La Liga campaign.
This is when he met former Hyderabad FC’s coach Manolo Marquez Roca who later on brought him to Hyderabad FC at the beginning of the 22/23 season. Herrera made his first team and La Liga debut on September 2017. The following January, he was loaned out to Segunda División side Real Valladolid.
After achieving promotion with Real Valladolid and suffering relegation with UD Las Palmas, Herrera signed a three-year deal with the Catalania-based club CF Reus Deportiu in the second division. In January 2019, Herrera left the club and agreed to a with fellow league team Albacete Balompié.
On 19 July 2019, Herrera signed a two-year contract with Maccabi Netanya from the Israeli Premier League. He spent a season in Israel before returning back to Spain and joining Gerard Pique’s club FC Andorra in August 2020. Herrera played a big role in Manolo Marquez’s Hyderabad FC last season.
He was a vital cog in both midfield and defense carrying the ball on the flanks, delivering delicate crosses or even taking the shots by himself. Borja had netted 5 goals and registered as many as 9 assists in a total of 30 matches across all competitions this season, it isn’t a bad stat by any means.
East Bengal FC have appointed former ISL-winning coach Carles Cuadrat on a two-year deal. Captain and forward Cleiton Silva is already contracted, while striker Javier Siverio is also set to join the club.
Odisha FC’s winger Nandha Kumar Sekar and Chenniyin FC’s midfielder Edwin Sydney Vanspaul are expected to join the party which includes talented Indians like Naorem Mahesh and Lalchungnunga.
Even many other experienced professionals like VP Suhair, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Souvik Chakraborty, and Mobashir Rahman are also present thus all in all the Red and Gold Bridages will certainly have a very competitive squad to challenge for the top six places to the big boys of the Hero Indian Super League.
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