WOAH! Bengaluru boy becomes first Indian footballer to sign professional contract with La Liga club

New Delhi: In what is a good news for football fans across the country, Bengaluru's Ishan Pandita has become the first Indian footballer to sign a professional contract with a club in La Liga.

Pandita, who has always been passionate about football, joined the setup at newly-promoted CD Leganes, which sits 11th in the Liga table.

It is a great achievement for the 18-year-old, who according to a report in The Hindu, grew up in the Philippines before moving to Bengaluru in 2009. He shifted base to Spain two years ago, and was part of UD Almeria's youth system.

Narrating his journey, Pandita told the newspaper, "I had trials at Getafe (currently in the second tier) in March, and I was very close to signing with them. But they got relegated at the end of the season. The whole point for me was to sign for a La Liga club and then Leganes showed interest."

Pandita also added that there was a tremendous improvement in his game ever since he moved to Spain.

“I've been training with the best coaches and players. It has impacted me heavily. The standard of play is miles better than what I was exposed to back home.”

The teenager will play his first game for Leganes once his registration is formalized by FIFA in the coming days.