Malappuram: The Malappuram Football Club has signed Indian international and former Kerala Blasters star striker Ishan Pandita. This move aims to strengthen the team’s attack for the remaining matches in the Super League. Ishan has played in both Indian Super League clubs and in the Spanish league. The 27-year-old player is from Delhi. This is the first time that Malappuram has signed a non-Malayali player, excluding foreign players, this season.
Ishan has played for FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, and Kerala Blasters FC in the ISL. He scored 4 goals in 17 matches for Goa, 6 goals in 36 matches for Jamshedpur, and 2 goals in 21 matches for Blasters. He has also represented the Indian national team, scoring 1 goal in 8 matches. His first international goal came against Hong Kong during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. He was part of the Indian team that won the 2023 Inter-Continental Cup.
Ishan spent much of his youth career in Spain, playing for clubs such as Alcobendas, UD Almeria, CD Leganés, Gimnàstic de Tarragona, Lorca FC, and Pobla de Mafumet. He is the first Indian to play for a youth team of a top-level Spanish club.