Glan Martins is another individual who came into his own after a slow start to the season with ATK Mohun Bagan. Martins, in fact, never really got much of a chance to prove himself while with the Mariners as head coach Antonio Lopez Habas opted to mostly use him off in the bench in a limited manner. However, he received a new lease of life after moving to FC Goa in the winter transfer window and itโs safe to say that Glan didnโt look back following the completion of the move. Glan became an integral member of the Gaurs midfield and played a key role in their run to the semis. After joining FC Goa, he ended the season with an assist and one goal, which was a stunning strike from distance thatโs a contender for goal of the season.
Young Paul Ramfangzauva didnโt enjoy the best of campaigns being a part of bottom-placed Odisha FC. However, the 20-year-old should be proud of his performances having held his own and not looked out of place during his time on the pitch for the Bhubaneswar-based club. Paul is a confident individual who likes to play on the front foot and is capable of making a difference in the final third with telling passes and powerful strikes. His debut Hero ISL campaign saw him make just five appearances in a struggling Odisha FC outfit, but the 20-year-old did make the most of his limited chances as his brace โ which featured a couple of spectacular goals โ in his clubโs 6-5 win over SC East Bengal demonstrated.
Many deserving players this season. Difficult to pick the Best XI. Overall agree with the selection of this Best XI except I would probably go with Amrinder Singh as goalkeeper and would consider Ishan Pandita too. I think Ishan has tremendous potential and see him as an asset to any team.
Foreign talents who stood out in their Hero ISL debut season.
Igor Angulo
Igor Angulo hit the ground running during Hero ISL 2020-21 and bagged the Golden Boot award after bagging 14 goals. Angulo won the Golden Boot owing to his lower minutes per goal scored (117.50) when compared to that of Roy Krishna and did a good job in filling Ferran Corominasโ boots for the Gaurs. A clinical finisher who loves to play on the shoulder of defenders, the Spaniard netted three braces over the course of his first Hero ISL campaign.
The brightest spark in an otherwise underwhelming season, even Diego Mauricioโs presence in the team couldnโt prevent Odisha FC from finishing at the bottom of the standings. The Brazilian was the Bhubaneswar-based clubโs top-scorer with 12 goals and was responsible for half the goals scored by his team โ almost. A confident dribbler with loads of pace, Mauricio could make an impact off the bench and tested the goalkeeper from freekicks or shots from range and often he succeeded in putting the ball into the net.
Another player who enjoyed a good individual Hero ISL bow despite his team not faring well was Bengaluru FCโs Cleiton Silva. Playing his first season for the Blues, Cleiton looked as though he had been a part of the Bengaluru FC set-up for years. He consistently found the back of the net for them with only Sunil Chhetri (8) scoring more goals than Cleiton (7). He could also set up his teammates to score and had more assists (4) than any other Bengaluru FC player.
Jordan Murray will have fond memories of his first-ever Hero ISL campaign even though Kerala Blasters FC had a season to forget. The Blasters had high expectations ahead of the season but failed to live up to the hype due to a variety of factors. One Kerala Blasters FC player who always gave it his best, causing trouble to opposition defences whenever on the pitch was Murray. He scored some crucial goals in winning causes for the southerners and ended the season as their top-scorer with seven goals besides also providing an assist.
Adam le Fondre joined Mumbai City FC with a lot of expectation to perform and the Englishman delivered as he ended the season as the Islandersโ top goal-getter (11). The Englishman showed his versatility over the course of the campaign, playing in wide areas as head coach Sergio Lobera looked to accommodate other players and experiment with his formation. Le Fondreโs ability to seamlessly slot into other roles meant that he had an impact wherever he was positioned as his one assist and the innumerable chances he created go to show.
Alberto Noguera was perhaps the most creative player in Hero ISL 2020-21 as he topped the leaderboard for assists in his debut campaign in India. The Spaniard was FC Goaโs primary playmaker, creating a host of chances for the Gaurs and finishing with eight assists โ joint-highest for the league this season. Though he took fewer minutes per assist than Roy Krishna. He also scored once for FC Goa and was a threat whenever on the ball, especially in the final third thanks to his ability to unlock defences with an eye-of-the-needle pass.
Matti Steinmann was another talented midfielder who shone in his debut Hero ISL season despite those around him not enjoying the best of times. As SC East Bengal struggled to adjust during their Hero ISL bow, Steinmann took to the action like a duck to water. Adept at both ends of the pitch, he was a colossal presence in midfield for the Kolkata club and was their top-scorer with four goals as well as their joint-top assist-maker with three assists.
Like Angulo, Jorge Ortiz made a big impact for FC Goa in his debut season with the Gaurs. A threat whenever on the ball, Ortizโs close control, quick change of pace and ability to beat players with a drop of a shoulder made him a handful for defenders to deal with. The Spaniard found himself heavily involved in the thick of the action for the Gaurs and was a creative influence that contributed six goals as well as an assist in Hero ISL 2020-21.
While most of this list is made up of attack-minded players, itโs worth mentioning that defenders left their mark in their debut Hero ISL campaign as well. Thereโs no better example in this regard than the performances of Jamshedpur FCโs Stephen Eze, who was a towering presence at the back and could be a nuisance in the opposition box now and then. He completed 35 blocks, 60 interceptions and 118 clearances for his team besides scoring for them four times.
for the champions 
in HeroISL 2020-21 
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- No player made more blocks in HeroISL 2020-21 than ATKMBโs Subhasis Bose 
