ISL: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu extends Bengaluru FC stay till 2028

Bengaluru FC have secured the long-term presence of goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu between their sticks as the custodian has put pen to paper on a five-year contract that will keep him at the club till 2028, the club announced on Friday.

The 31-year-old who joined the club in 2017 after becoming the first Indian player to play in the UEFA Europa League at Norway's Stabaek FC has been a mainstay in Bengaluru FC's starting XI since and has gone from strength to strength also making the starting spot in the Indian national team his own.

During this time with Bengaluru FC, Sandhu has won three trophies which include the Indian Super League (ISL) title in 2018-19, the Super Cup in 2018 and most recently the Durand Cup in 2022.

Sandhu has made 108 appearances in the ISL and only Amrinder Singh is the other goalkeeper to have featured more in the Indian top flight.

"The way the club and the city embraced me, and the love shown by the supporters makes me believe that this is the best place for me to continue my journey," Sandhu said after the announcement.

The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper also took to Twitter to express his delight at extending his stay with the Blues.

Sandhu's first task since signing the extension will be to guide Bengaluru FC to the ISL playoffs. The Blues currently sit in seventh place but are just one point behind Odisha FC who could only manage a draw against Chennaiyin FC on Thursday.

Bengaluru FC travel to ATK Mohun Bagan on Sunday in a crucial game in the race for the playoffs.

( With inputs from ANI )