It’s a homecoming for Harmanjot Singh Khabra as he joins his former club, where his career has picked up gear and moved forward. Khabra, a very well-known name to all the East Bengal fans, has joined East Bengal FC again in this transfer window. Khabra’s versatility to play in various positions will definitely help East Bengal in the upcoming season.
Player Profile: Harmanjot Singh Khabra:
Harmanjot Singh Khabra started his youth career at the Tata Football Academy. In 2006, Khabra joined I-League side Sporting Club de Goa as his first professional club and played a total of 61 matches, in which he scored 14 goals. Moreover, he scored a brace in his debut match against Army XI in an IFA Shield match.
Later in 2009, Khabra joined Kolkata based East Bengal FC, where his career took a massive forward turn. Khabra spent seven years at the century-old club and was also made the club’s captain. His passion and love for the club soon made him one of the most popular footballers among the fans.
The 35-year-old versatile footballer played 228 games for East Bengal and also scored 13 goals. With East Bengal, Khabra won the Federation Cup in 2012, and also won the IFA Shield in 2012. From 2010 to 2016, Khabra won the Calcutta Football League for seven consecutive years.
Between his stint with East Bengal, Khabra has also played for ISL side Chennaiyin FC on loan. Though he joined the Marina Machans on a permanent transfer after completing his contract with East Bengal. With Chennaiyin FC Khabra played a total of 34 matches and also won the Hero ISL trophy in the 2015 season.
Besides Chennaiyin FC, Khabra has also played for several ISL clubs, like Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters. Khabra also has 109 appearances for Bengaluru FC. With the Blues, he won the Federation Cup in 2017, the Hero ISL in 2019 and the Super Cup in 2018. Khabra, who played 28 matches for the Manjappada Brigade, was also a part of Kerala’s 2021–22 ISL Runners-Up squad.
The Home-coming of a Red and Gold Warrior:
After seven years since his departure, Khabra again joined East Bengal ahead of the 2023–24 season. He makes his return at the 2023 Durand Cup and is also selected as a club captain. Moreover, the veteran full-back has also displayed an outstanding performance in the iconic Kolkata Derby, which helped his team to beat their arch-rivals after more than four years.
Under Coach Carles Cuadrat’s tenure, Khabra was a significant part of Bengaluru FC. As Cuadrat is now plying his trade as East Bengal’s head coach, it is going to be much easier for the Punjab-born midfielder to adapt well to the coach’s style and to perform according to the coach’s needs.
His resilience, dedication, passion, determination, and perseverance have led him to success. His experience of playing in front of a huge fan base under enormous pressure and high expectations will help the other players to understand what the club means to its supporters. Khabra’s leadership, versatility, and fighting spirit are going to be very crucial for East Bengal this year.
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