Indian Super League outfit FC Pune City have completed their shopping spree of foreigners ahead of the upcoming edition of the ISL, after announcing the signings of Nigerian striker Kalu Uche and Dutch winger Wesley Verhoek.
The two players join Romanian star and Pune City marquee player Adrian Mutu in the ISL side this year. Apart from Mutu, Costa Rican striker Yendrick Ruiz, former Stoke City and Bolton forward Tuncay Sanli, as well as English stars like Nicky Shorey, Steve Simonsen, James Bailey, and former Birmingham City defender Roger Johnson are the other players in the FC Pune City roster.
The highest capped player of Ivory Coast and former Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora is another big name in the FC Pune side this season, while defender Diego Colotto is the only player from Argentina in the ISL side.
New signing Uche, 32, represented Nigeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he brings oodles of experience to the ISL after plying his trade with a host of Spanish sides in the past, which include Espanyol, Almeria and Levante.
Looking ahead to the cash-rich football tournament in India, the striker, who has a total of 37 goals from 148 appearances in La Liga, mentions that he is keen on sharing his experience with his Indian teammates at Pune City.
"Seeing some of the top footballers signed up with FC Pune City, I felt this would be a great opportunity as well a new challenge for me. I hope to share my experience with the Indian boys and help the team become champions," Uche said in a release.
Former Feyenoord forward Verhoek, 28, who has 24 goals from 199 appearances in the Dutch top-flight, is looking ahead to sharing the FC Pune City dressing room with the likes of Mutu and Zokora, and is keen on improving his own game, as well as improving the performances of the team as a whole.
"FC Pune City also has a great line up so sharing the locker room with some of the legends of the game will only add further value to my game," said Wesley.
Both the signings were signed up by the ISL franchisee side's head coach David Platt.
"In both Wesley and Kalu we have satisfied our requirements and have 2 very important players who will compliment what we already have. I can't wait until they are with us and we are complete," the former assistant to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City said.
