Reigning I-League champions Bengaluru FC signed midfielder Lenny Rodrigues on a season-long loan deal on Thursday, completing their second loan capture for the upcoming domestic season, following Harmanjot Khabra’s arrival.
The 29-year-old Rodrigues, like Khabra, is vastly experienced in the Indian domestic circuit having plied his trade with Churchill brothers, where he spent six seasons. He also represented Dempo and giants Mohun Bagan on loan in the past.
Having reached the final of the AFC Cup, Bengaluru will be playing in Asia’s premier continental tournament having qualified for the AFC Champions League. After signing for the two-time I-League champions, Rodrigues revealed that he had nearly signed for the club during its inception, three years ago, “This is a dream for me. I was in talks with Bengaluru when the club was formed in 2013 but things didn’t work out due to my existing commitments. It’s nice to be able to get that chance again and I want to make it count. It’s an honour to turn out for a champion side like Bengaluru’s,” said Rodrigues.
The Goan has impressed for FC Pune City, where he has played since the start of the Indian Super League. Bengaluru coach Albert Roca said that he had kept a keen eye on Rodrigues before signing him, “We’ve been keeping an eye on Lenny and I have even been watching some old footage of him. We think he will fit well into our system and we’re glad to have him on the team,” said Roca.
Benglauru FC will kick off their title defence against Shillong Lajong on January 7th.