ISL Transfer Watch: Anirudh Thapa signs two-year contract extension with Chennaiyin FC

As
per
a
Chennaiyin
FC

media
release,
with
this
deal,
the
24-year-old
will
continue
to
feature
for
the
club
he
had
joined
in
2016
until
the
summer
of
2024.

Since
joining
the
Marina
Machans,
the
Dehradun-born
footballer
has
been
an
integral
part
of
the
team’s
set-up,
playing
a
significant
role
in
Chennaiyin
FC’s
success
over
the
years
that
also
includes
playing
two
ISL
finals-winning
the
title
once
in
the
2017-18
season.

“Thapa
came
here
young.
And
in
that
time,
he’s
won
an
ISL
title,
established
himself
as
one
of
the
best
in
the
country
and
also
captained
Chennaiyin
FC
for
a
season.
He’s
made
himself
in
Chennai.
And
now
he
will
be
one
of
the
key
players
to
make
the
future
of
Chennaiyin
FC,”
said
Chennaiyin
FC
co-owner
Vita
Dani.

Club
poster
boy
Thapa,
came
in
as
a
development
player
for
Chennaiyin
FC
after
spending
four
years
at
the
AIFF
Elite
Academy
from
2012-2016.
The
second
most
capped
player
for
the
club
after
Jerry
Lalrinzuala
(103),
Thapa
has
made
101
appearances,
across
six
ISL
seasons,
the
AFC
Cup
and
the
Super
Cup.

“Chennaiyin
FC
has
always
been
like
a
family
to
me.
And
Chennai,
my
home.
So,
this
decision
was
not
hard
to
make.
I
cannot
wait
to
get
started
with
the
fans
cheering
in
a
packed
Marina
Arena,”
Thapa
expressed
his
excitement.

Evolving
as
one
of
the
best
in
the
country
while
playing
for
Chennaiyin
FC,
Thapa
also
shouldered
the
captaincy
responsibilities
last
season
where
the
team
started
off
brilliantly
with
a
solid
display
in
the
defence.

A
record
two-time
AIFF
Emerging
Player
of
the
Year
Award
winner,
Thapa
has
also
been
one
of
the
key
members
of
the
senior
national
side
with
24
appearances
since
debut
in
2017.
He
was
also
part
of
India’s
junior
teams-U-16,
U-19
and
U-23.

ISL
POINTS
TABLE

In
the
2021-22
ISL
season,
Chennaiyin
FC
finished
eighth
in
the
table
and
failed
to
make
it
to
the
play-offs.

They
started
the
ISL
season
under
Bozidar
Bandovic
before
the
well-travelled
Montenegrin
coach
and
the
club
decided
to
part
ways
with
ex
India
international
Sabir
Pasha
taking
over.