| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 December 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Eraviputhenthurai, Tamil Nadu | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Odisha | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2016 | Arrows Football Club | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2018 | Chennai City | 29 | (5) |
| 2018–2019 | Jamshedpur | 14 | (4) |
| 2019–2020 | ATK | 20 | (3) |
| 2020–2022 | ATK Mohun Bagan | 6 | (0) |
| 2022– | Odisha | 0 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2019– | India | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:48, 3 March 2022 (UTC) | |||
Michael Soosairaj (born 25 December 1994), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Odisha and the India national team.[1]
Career[edit | edit source]
Early career and Chennai City[edit | edit source]
Born in Eraviputhenthurai, Tamil Nadu, Soosairaj first moved to Chennai when he attended Madras Christian College.[2] At the age of 10 he started training with his local football club/academy St. Catherine FC one of the oldest football clubs in the state. He represented the college in Inter-University tournaments before joining Arrows Football Club of the CFA Senior Division.[2] After spending time with Arrows, Soosairaj joined another CFA Senior Division side, Chennai City.[2] He also played for Tamil Nadu in the Santosh Trophy.[3]
In December 2016, Chennai City FC were announced as a direct-entry side into the I-League, India's top-tier football league.[4][5] He made his professional debut for the club on 4 December 2017 in Chennai City's second match of the 2017–18 season against Gokulam Kerala. Pandiyan started and played the whole match as Chennai City drew 1–1.[6] On 17 January 2017, Soosairaj made his professional debut in the I-League for Chennai City against DSK Shivajians. He came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Malsawmfela despite Chennai City losing 2–0.[7]
On 8 April 2018, Soosairaj scored his first professional goal in the league against Minerva Punjab. His 41st-minute goal was the first in a 2–0 victory.[8] He then scored his second goal of the season a few weeks later on 22 April against Churchill Brothers. This time, Soosairaj scored Chennai City's only goal in the 54th minute as they lost 5–1.[9] The next season, Soosairaj scored his first brace, scoring twice against Churchill Brothers on 17 February 2018. His two goals contributed to a 3–1 victory for Chennai City.[10] He then scored his third goal of the season a couple weeks later on 2 March against Minerva Punjab. His 5th-minute goal was the first in a 2–1 victory for Chennai City.[11]
After the 2017–18 season, Soosairaj was named the league's best midfielder by the All India Football Federation.[12]
Jamshedpur[edit | edit source]
On 9 March 2018, it was announced that Soosairaj had signed for Jamshedpur of the Indian Super League.[13] He scored 4 goals in 14 matches during the 2018–19 season. He was brilliant throughout the season playing as a left or right winger . He earned a lot of admiration for his performance. He was one of the standout Indian players of the season, and his performances led to him gaining his first international call-up.
ATK[edit | edit source]
Before the start of the 2019–20 season, Indian Super League side ATK activated the release clause of Michael Soosairaj as ₹90 lakh (Template:INRConvert/EUR)[14] Soosairaj scored against Mumbai City FC this season, assisting ATK in a 2–0 win.[15]
ATK Mohun Bagan[edit | edit source]
After the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan, Soosairaj joined ATK Mohun Bagan, and was included in twenty-two men squad by manager Antonio Lopez Habas for the team's 2021 AFC Cup inter-zonal semifinal match against Uzbek side Nasaf.[16]
Odisha[edit | edit source]
On 28 May 2022, the Juggernauts secured the signature of Soosairaj, on a two-year deal.[17][18]
Personal life[edit | edit source]
His elder brother Michael Regin is also a professional footballer.[19]
Career statistics[edit | edit source]
Club[edit | edit source]
- As of 3 March 2022[20]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | AFC | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chennai City | 2016–17 | I-League | 11 | 2 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 18 | 3 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| Jamshedpur | 2018–19 | Indian Super League | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 4 | |
| ATK | 2019–20 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 3 | ||
| ATK Mohun Bagan | 2020–21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Odisha | 2022–23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 69 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 12 | ||
International[edit | edit source]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Juggernauts secure Soosai Raj's signature". odishafc.com. 28 May 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Prasad, Vishnu (21 March 2018). "Michael learns to rock". New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "TN squad for Santosh Trophy named". The Hindu. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ↑ "Chennai City FC, Minerva Punjab FC Get Direct Entry Into I-League". News18. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Chennai City FC signs three players for ISL 2017-'18". Business Standard. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ↑ "Gokulam Kerala 1-1 Chennai City". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ↑ "Shivajians 2-0 Chennai City". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Minerva Punjab 0-2 Chennai City". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Churchill Brothers 5-1 Chennai City". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Chennai City 3-1 Churchill Brothers". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Chennai City 2-1 Minerva Punjab". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Minerva Punjab presented with winners' trophy; NEROCA's Gift Raikhan named season's best coach". FirstPost. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Michael Soosairaj signs for Jamshedpur". Jamshedpur FC (Twitter).
- ↑ "ATK activates Rs. 90 Lakh release clause for Jamshedpur FC's Michael Soosairaj". Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ↑ Marar, Nandakumar. "ISL: Michael Soosairaj shines again". Sportstar.
- ↑ Kauko included in ATK Mohun Bagan squad The Hindu. Retrieved 18 September 2021
- ↑ "Juggernauts secure Soosai Raj's signature". odishafc.com. 28 May 2022.
- ↑ "Odisha FC set to sign Michael Soosairaj on two-year deal". khelnow.com. 28 May 2022.
- ↑ "Football blossoms in the land of Michael Soosairaj". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ↑ Michael Soosairaj at Soccerway