Jeakson Singh Thounaojam (born 21 June 2001) is an Indian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
defensive midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
for
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club
East Bengal
East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...
and the
India national team.
Club career
Youth and early career: 2012–2018
Born in
Manipur
Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
, to a family that loved football, Jeakson's early introduction to the sport came from his father, who was a coach. He was eleven years old when he left his hometown in Thoubal district to travel all the way to Chandigarh to join the Chandigarh football academy known as CFA. After around five years at CFA, he later joined
Minerva Punjab academy where he was the part of their youth team. He formed a crucial part of the club's academy team which would go on to win the AIFF U-15 & U-16 Youth League titles two consecutive years. After the
FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to U-17 in 1991 and to its current name in 2007, is the annual world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by ''Fé ...
, Jeakson was selected to play for the
Indian Arrows
Indian Arrows (formerly known as Pailan Arrows) is an Indian developmental football team that competes in the Indian national football tiers. They competed in the I-League. The club was formed by the All India Football Federation in 2010, wi ...
, an
All India Football Federation
All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the governing body of football, futsal and beach soccer in India. It is a member of FIFA, and is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation and South Asian Football Federation.
It is affiliated wit ...
-owned team that would consist of
India under-20 players to give them playing time, on loan from Minerva Punjab.
He made his first-ever professional debut for the side in the Arrows' first match of the season against
Chennai City
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian censu ...
. He started and played 90 minutes as Indian Arrows won 3–0.
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Reserves: 2018–2019 season
In October 2018
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India. The club was esta ...
announced the signing of Jeakson. He was put on to the reserve side and made 5 appearances for the side in the
I-League 2nd Division
The I-League 2 is an Indian men's professional association football, football league. It is the 3rd tier of the Indian football league system, behind the Indian Super League and the I-League. It operates as a system of promotion and relegation ...
. After the season he was once again loaned to Indian Arrows to get some playing time.
Kerala Blasters: 2019–2020 season
He was promoted to the senior team by newly appointed Blasters coach
Eelco Schattorie
Eelco Schattorie (born 18 December 1971) is a Dutch football manager. He was most recently the manager of Saudi First Division League club Al-Safa.
Career
Born in Swalmen, Schattorie started as a youth and assistant coach, later becoming the ...
for the
2019–20 Indian Super League. He started in the opening game itself against
ATK on 20 October 2019 becoming the second-youngest player for the Blasters, behind
Dheeraj Singh. He played 82 minutes in the defensive midfield position before being substituted by
Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad (born 1 April 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan and the India national team.
Club career Early life and youth career
Sahal was born in Al Ain, UAE ...
, as Kerala Blasters beat
ATK 2–1 at home. He was later awarded the Emerging Player of the Match award. Despite the fact that the Blasters had a poor season, he was one of their bright spots and ended up featuring in 13 games in his debut season for the senior side, playing mostly in his natural defensive midfielder position.
2020–2021 season
On 12 December 2020, the Blasters announced that they have extended Jeakson's contract till the end of 2023 season. On 20 December, he scored his first goal in the Indian Super League as well as for the Blasters by coming in as a substitute for
Rohit Kumar in the 46th minute against
East Bengal
East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...
during the stoppage time, taking the game to a 1–1 draw. On 27 December 2020, he had a good performance against
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
, as Blasters registered their first win of the season by 2–0, where Jeakson won the Man of the Match award. In the
Southern Derby
The Southern Derby is a fan-based U.S. professional soccer cup competition between USL Championship (USLC) teams based in the South-Atlantic region of the United States (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). It was founded in 2000. The S ...
against
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
on 20 January 2021, Jeakson was deployed as a
center-back for the first time in his career.
2021–2022 season
Jeakson was included in the Blasters squad for the
2021 Durand Cup
The 2021 Durand Cup was the 130th edition of Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia. Like its 2019 Durand Cup, previous edition, the tournament was hosted in West Bengal. The tournament is jointly hosted by the Eastern Command (Indi ...
, where he played all three matches for the club in the tournament. He played his first league match of the 2021–22 season on 19 November 2021 in the season opener against
ATK Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan Super Giant, commonly referred to as Mohun Bagan, is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest football clubs in Asia. The club competes in the Indian Super League, ...
, which they lost 4–2. On 19 December, he provided an assist to
Álvaro Vázquez
Álvaro Vázquez García (born 27 April 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Tercera Federación club Badalona.
Club career Spain and Swansea City
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Vázquez spent most of his life i ...
who scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory against
Mumbai City FC
Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is part of the City Football Group. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Ind ...
. Jeakson scored his first goal of the season against FC Goa on 2 January 2022, which ended in a dramatic 2–2 draw. He formed a solid partnership with
Puitea in the midfield and helped the Blasters to reach the finals, which they lost to
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
on penalties.
2022–2023 season
On 25 April 2022, Jeakson signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at the club till 2025. He played his first match of the
2022–23 Indian Super League
The 2022–23 Indian Super League was the ninth season of the Indian Super League, the first season as the only top division, and the 27th season of top-tier Indian football league system, Indian football. It commenced on 7 October 2022 and conc ...
season against East Bengal in the opening match of the season on 7 October, which they won 3–1. He was also included in the Blasters' squad for the
2023 Indian Super Cup
The 2023 Super Cup (also known as the 2023 Hero Super Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the third edition of the Super Cup and the 41st season of the national knockout football competition in India. The competition was sponsored by Hero MotoCor ...
season after the exit in the infamous ISL knockout stage match, and started as a substitute for
Danish Farooq in the first group stage match against
RoundGlass Punjab FC
Punjab Football Club (formerly known as RoundGlass Punjab FC) is an Indian professional football club founded in Mohali, Punjab. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system. It was the first ...
on 8 April 2023 in the 81st minute,
as the Blasters won the match 3–1 at full-time.
2023–2024 season
In July 2023, after the departure of
Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad (born 1 April 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan and the India national team.
Club career Early life and youth career
Sahal was born in Al Ain, UAE ...
, Jeakson became the longest serving player in the Blasters squad. He played his first match of the season against
Gokulam Kerala FC
Gokulam Kerala Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kozhikode, Kerala. Founded in 2017, the club competes in the I-League, the second tier of the Indian football league system. They won the 2020–21 I-League title t ...
in the
2023 Durand Cup
The 2023 Durand Cup (also known as IndianOil Durand Cup due to sponsorship ties with the Indian Oil Corporation) was the 132nd edition of Durand Cup, the oldest association football, football tournament in Asia, and the second edition since it ...
tournament on 13 August 2023, which they lost 3–4. In the first away league game of the season against
Mumbai City on 8 October, Jeakson was substituted in the beginning of second half after suffering a shoulder injury following a challenge on
Greg Stewart. On 20 October, the Blasters' assistant coach
Frank Dauwen, during the pre-match press conference said that Jeakson needs surgery and will be out of action for two to three months. On 3 November, the club confirmed that Jeakson has successfully undergone his shoulder surgery.
East Bengal
On July 19, 2024, it was announced that Jeakson had signed with
East Bengal
East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...
. He signed a 4 year deal with them for a record transfer-fee of ₹3.2 Crore, which was the highest in the Indian football's history.
International career
Youth
Jeakson represented the
India under-17 side which participated in the
2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the 17th FIFA U-17 World Cup, a biennial international association football, football tournament contested by men's under-17 national teams. Organised by FIFA, the tournament took place in India from 6 to 28 Octo ...
which was hosted in India.
In India's second match of the tournament, on 9 October 2017 against
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, he scored India's first-ever goal in a
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
World Cup tournament. His 82nd-minute header from a corner was the equaliser for India but the team conceded again a minute later, and went on to be defeated 2–1. Jeakson later played for the
India under-20 team and the
India under-23 team.
Senior
After a breakthrough season with Kerala Blasters in the 2019–2021 season, he was named in the list of probables for
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
's World Cup Qualifier against
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, but didn't make it to the final squad.
In March 2021, Jeakson was included in the final squad for India's friendlies against
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
and
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw against
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
on 25 March 2021.
Jeakson was named in the 23-men
Indian squad for the
2021 SAFF Championship
The 2021 SAFF Championship, known as Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 for sponsorship reasons, was the thirteenth edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organised by South Asian Footba ...
in
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
. He made his only appearance in the tournament by coming as a substitute in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
against
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
, where India won the match 3–0. In March 2022, he was again included in the national squad by coach
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac (; born 6 September 1967) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player.
In his playing career, Štimac had three spells with Hajduk Split and also played for Cádiz in Spain, and for Derby County and West Ham Un ...
ahead of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
's two friendly matches against
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
and
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
. On 14 June, Jeakson provided an assist for
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri (, born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and captains the India national team. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He is ...
's second goal against
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
in the
2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification was the qualification process organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to determine the participating teams for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the 18th edition of the international men's football champions ...
, which India won 4–0.
Personal life
His cousin,
Amarjit Singh Kiyam, is also a footballer. Both of them represented the
Indian under-17 national team in the
2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup India where Amarjit captained the side. Amarjit currently plays for
Goa
Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
. His younger sister, Kritina Devi Thounaojam, also a footballer, represented India in youth teams.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Kerala Blasters
*
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
runner up:
2021–22
India
*
SAFF Championship
The SAFF Championship (erstwhile SAARC Gold Cup and SAFF Gold Cup), is the primary association football competition contested by the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the South Asian Football Fede ...
:
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
Tri-Nation Series:
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
Intercontinental Cup:
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Jeakson
2001 births
Living people
Indian men's footballers
21st-century Indian sportsmen
People from Thoubal district
Footballers from Manipur
Minerva Academy FC players
Indian Arrows players
Men's association football midfielders
I-League players
India men's youth international footballers
Kerala Blasters FC players
India men's international footballers
I-League 2 players
Indian Super League players
Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy players
East Bengal Club players