Roy Krishna (born 30 August 1987) is a Fijian 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 ...
who plays as a
forward for
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
club
Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first ...
and the
Fiji national team
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji cons ...
.
Club career
Early career
Krishna joined the
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...
(NZFC) side
Waitakere United from Fijian local outfit
Labasa FC
Labasa F.C. is a Fijian football club based in Labasa that competes in the premier division of the Fiji Premier League.
History
A local football competition was held in Labasa from 1938. The competition included some ethnic Fijian Clubs. Laba ...
in January 2008.
In May 2008, he spent two weeks training with the
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
,
but was not offered a contract.
In March 2009, it was reported that
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, wh ...
was interested in signing him.
However he said professional football in New Zealand with the Phoenix was his preferred option because he was not ready to move to Europe as he was still learning English and was not ready for another language. Later, in June 2013, Krishna was offered a one-month trial by
EFL Championship
The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
club
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
; however, he was unable to attend due to restrictions imposed upon him due to his recent obtainment of
New Zealand permanent residency.
In his 6 seasons with Waitakere United, Krishna managed 55 goals in 75 appearances and has won the
NZFC Golden Boot in the 2012–13 season.
Auckland City
In September 2013, it was announced that he had joined Waitakere's local rivals
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a New Zealand professional football club based in the suburb of Sandringham in Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. Auckland City have established themselves as a major force in bo ...
for the upcoming
ASB Premiership season. On 12 December 2013, he scored Auckland City's goal in a 2–1 defeat to
Raja Casablanca
Raja Club Athletic ( ar, نادي الرجاء الرياضي, Nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍī, zgh, ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵏ ⵕⴰⵊⴰ ⴰⵎⴰⵏⵓⵏ), commonly referred to as Raja CA, Raja Casablanca or simply RCA is a professional footb ...
in the
2013 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2013 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013 presented by Toyota for sponsorship reasons) was the 10th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament betwee ...
, becoming the first Fijian to score at the finals of a FIFA tournament.
Wellington Phoenix
On 7 January 2014, Krishna signed with the
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
's
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
until the end of the
2013–14 season as an injury replacement for
Paul Ifill
Paul Everton Ifill (born 20 October 1979) is a footballer who plays as a forward and manages Christchurch United. He spent most of his career playing as a right winger or a right midfielder, often described as an “old fashioned winger”.
...
,
scoring his debut goal on 16 March 2014 against the
Melbourne Heart
Melbourne City Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the south–eastern Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne East, that plays in the A-League, the top level of Australian soccer, under licence from Australian Profess ...
, beating
Andrew Redmayne with a powerful drive into the bottom right corner. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. His performance in the match earned him the A-League's player of the week honors. Four days later, Krishna came to terms on a new 2-year contract with the Phoenix.
On 29 February 2016, Krishna extended his contract with the club, agreeing to a 2-year deal that would keep him at Wellington until the end of the 2017–18 season. He subsequently signed a 1-year extension on 15 February 2018.
On 18 April 2018, Krishna was named Wellington Phoenix Player of the Year and his fourth-round goal against
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisb ...
was deemed the team's Goal of the Year for the 2017–18 season.
On 2 December 2018, Krishna became the outright leading goal scorer for the Wellington Phoenix, overtaking previous leader
Paul Ifill
Paul Everton Ifill (born 20 October 1979) is a footballer who plays as a forward and manages Christchurch United. He spent most of his career playing as a right winger or a right midfielder, often described as an “old fashioned winger”.
...
's 33 goals for the club. Krishna made A-League history on 19 January 2019, becoming the first player to score 3 consecutive
braces.
On 13 May 2019, Krishna was awarded the
Johnny Warren Medal for his performances in the
2018–19 A-League
The 2018–19 A-League was the 42nd season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 14th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The regular season commenced on 19 October 2018 and concluded on 28 April 2019. The play-offs began ...
season. On 27 May 2019, Krishna announced his departure from Wellington Phoenix after a long-term deal was not reached.
ATK
On 18 June 2019, Krishna announced he had signed a one-year deal with (the now dissolved)
ATK, which played in the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
. Krishna got off the mark with a goal against
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
in what was only his second match for ATK, and thereafter, it became a familiar sight. Despite a minor injury problem, he finished with 15 goals, the highest in the league alongside
Nerijus Valskis
Nerijus Valskis (born 4 August 1987) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kauno Žalgiris and Lithuania national team.
Club career Earlier career
Valskis began his senior club career in 2005 at FK Žalgiris of ...
and
Bartholomew Ogbeche
Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Hyderabad. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history.
He played his club football in ...
, and six assists from 21 games. Krishna was influential in ATK reaching the final in his first season with the club, scoring a goal in the second leg of their
semi-final
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...
victory against
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
on 8 March 2020. He also played a pivotal role in ATK winning their record-breaking third league title with an assist in their 3–1 win over
Chennaiyin in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
.
ATK Mohun Bagan

Following the 2019–20 season, the team
ATK was dissolved and its brand got merged with the more than a century old club,
Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...
to form
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan FC () is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club, which was formed as a merger between the football section of m ...
. In ATK Mohun Bagan's first
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
match on 20 November 2020, Krishna scored the club's first goal in ISL and was awarded the man of the match in their 1–0 victory over
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was establish ...
. He scored in the club's next match on 27 November, the inaugural Indian Super League
Kolkata Derby
The Kolkata Derby (locally known as "Boro Match"; bn, বড় ম্যাচ) is the football match in Kolkata, between East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan (Mohun Bagan till 2019–20). In January 2020, the owners of a Kolkata based Indian S ...
against
East Bengal
ur,
, common_name = East Bengal
, status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan
, p1 = Bengal Presidency
, flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg
, s1 = Eas ...
;
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan FC () is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club, which was formed as a merger between the football section of m ...
won the match 2–0. Krishna went on to help his team finish second in the league stage and grab up the runners up spot in the playoffs, also winning the golden ball award for contributing 22 goals in 23 games. On
Mohun Bagan Day 2021, he extended his contract for another year at the club and was also awarded Best Footballer of the Year by
Mohun Bagan AC
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...
. In
2021 AFC Cup
The 2021 AFC Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The winners of the tournament automatically qualified for the 2022 AFC Champions League, enter ...
Krishna scored 2 goals for the team in the group stage.
In his second season with the club, he was diagnosed with
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
and played only a few matches due to recurring injuries. He scored only 7 goals in what had been an underwhelming league season for him so far. In the
2022 AFC Cup
The 2022 AFC Cup was the 19th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
This season was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule; from 2023 the competi ...
, he scored his only goal in the tournament during his last match with the club against
Maziya
Maziya Sports and Recreation Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Malé. They compete in the Dhivehi Premier League, the country's top division. The club was formed in 1996 and was promoted to the first division for the firs ...
. On 3 June 2022, his contract expired ahead of the upcoming season and parted ways with the club.
Bengaluru
In July 2022, Krishna penned a two-year deal, the second of which is an optional extension with
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. On 17 August, he scored on his debut against
Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (, ) or Tatanagar is the largest and most populous city in Jharkhand and the first planned industrial city in India. It is a Notified Area Council and Municipal Corporation and also the headquarter of the East Singhbhum district. It ...
in the
Durand Cup
The Durand Football Tournament, commonly known as Durand Cup, is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Shimla. Hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and All India Football Federation ...
, which ended in a 2–1 win.He is also playing in ISL 2022-23 with Bengaluru FC. He has scored only a single goal so far for his new team, in what has been the most dismal outing in his ISL career.
International career
Krishna made his debut for
Fiji at the
South Pacific Games 2007 and he has played for them in the
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament.
In 2010, Krishna was also called up to the
national futsal team for the
2010 OFC Futsal Championship.
On 16 July 2016, Krishna was named as one of the three over-aged players of the
Fiji under-23 team for the
2016 Summer Olympics, alongside
Simione Tamanisau and
Alvin Singh
Alvin Singh (born 9 June 1988) is a Fijian footballer who plays as a centre back for Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC and the Fiji national football team.
International career
Singh made his debut for the senior national team in a 2–0 win against ...
. On 7 August 2016, he scored the team's only goal in the final tournament's campaign, against
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
. Krishna's goal was Fiji's first ever goal in the Olympic Games.
In 2021 Krishna was named
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is one of the six continental confederations of international association football. The OFC has 13 members, 11 of which are full members and two which are associate members not affiliated with FIFA. I ...
ambassador.
Personal life
Krishna is an
Indo-Fijian
Indo-Fijians or Indian-Fijians (also known as Fiji Indians) are Fijian citizens of Indian descent, and include people who trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.Girmit by Suresh Prasad Although Indo-Fijians constit ...
. After living in New Zealand for ten years, he gained his citizenship in December 2018.
In July 2018, Krishna married Indo-Fijian model and media business owner Naziah Ali.
They welcomed their first child in 2022.
His friendship with
Prabir Das is one of a kind and the striker-right back duo has been instrumental in delivering impeccable performances for
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan FC () is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club, which was formed as a merger between the football section of m ...
. They developed a close friendship from Roy's initial days in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
and the two families have always shared a close bond. Sources say that
Prabir Das was instrumental in convincing Roy Krishna to continue with
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan FC () is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club, which was formed as a merger between the football section of m ...
.
Prabir Das left the club
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan FC () is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competes in Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club, which was formed as a merger between the football section of m ...
after the ongoing
2022 AFC Cup
The 2022 AFC Cup was the 19th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
This season was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule; from 2023 the competi ...
, following which Roy Krishna parted ways with the club too.
Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
:''Scores and results list Fiji's goal tally first.''
Honours
Waitakere United
*
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...
:
2007–08,
2009–10,
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
,
2011–12,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
*
OFC Champions League
The OFC Champions League, also known as the O-League, is the premier men's club soccer competition in Oceania. It is organised by the OFC, Oceania's football governing body. Beginning as the Oceania Club Championship (1987–2006), it has been ...
:
2007–08
Auckland City
*
Charity Cup
The Charity Cup (known as the ASB Charity Cup for sponsorship reasons) is New Zealand's association football super cup, which takes place on annual basis.
The competition was founded in 1978 as the NZFA Challenge Trophy. The Champions of the Na ...
: 2013–14
ATK
*
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
:
2019–20
Bengaluru
*
Durand Cup
The Durand Football Tournament, commonly known as Durand Cup, is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Shimla. Hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and All India Football Federation ...
:
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
Individual
* New Zealand Football Championship Player of the Year:
2008–09
*
2007 OFC U-20 Championship Golden Boot: – 8 goals
* 2008
Oceania Footballer of the Year nominee
* New Zealand Football Championship Golden Boot:
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
(12 goals)
*
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
Players' Player of the Year:
2016–17
*
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
Goal of the season: 2017–18 (vs.
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisb ...
on 28 October 2017)
*
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
Player of the Year:
2017–18
*
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
Player of the Month: January 2019
* A-League Golden Boot:
2018–19 (18 goals)
*
Johnny Warren Medal:
2018–19
*
ISL Player of the Month: November 2019
*
ISL Top scorer: 2019–20 (15 Goals),
2020–21 (14 Goals)
*
IFFHS OFC Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
*
IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for s ...
Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021
*Indian Super League Golden Ball:
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
*
Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, its football section is one of the oldest in India and Asia. The club is most notable for its victory over East Yorkshire Regiment ...
Best footballer of the year:
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Roy Krishna Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishna, Roy
Living people
1987 births
People from Labasa
Fijian people of Indian descent
Fijian footballers
Association football forwards
Labasa F.C. players
Waitakere United players
Auckland City FC players
Wellington Phoenix FC players
ATK (football club) players
New Zealand Football Championship players
A-League Men players
Indian Super League players
Fiji international footballers
Olympic footballers of Fiji
2008 OFC Nations Cup players
2012 OFC Nations Cup players
2016 OFC Nations Cup players
Footballers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Fijian expatriate footballers
Fijian expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand
Fijian expatriate sportspeople in India
Expatriate association footballers in New Zealand
Expatriate footballers in India
People with acquired New Zealand citizenship
ATK Mohun Bagan FC players
New Zealand people of Indo-Fijian descent
New Zealand sportspeople of Indian descent
Bengaluru FC players