ISL 2023-24: Bengaluru FC signs English striker Curtis Main – News Block

Ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League season (ISL 2023-24), Bengaluru FC announced on Tuesday the acquisition of English striker Curtis Main on a one-year deal, with an optional one-year extension.

Main, who recently played for St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, began his youth career at Sunderland AFC and is a product of Darlington FC Academy.

See also: ISL 2023-24 Transfer Live News and Updates

Main is the second foreign signing from the Bengaluru window, with the Blues announcing the arrival of Montenegrin centre-back Slavko Damjanovic earlier.

“I am very excited and honored to be part of a great club. I had a few conversations with the manager and I really liked how they went. He has a great reputation and has done an excellent job at the club so far and hopefully I can come in and build on the success. I am really looking forward to joining the team and getting started in front of the passionate fans I have heard so much about.” Main said, after completing the formalities of their deal.

See also: ISL transfer window: All transfers completed for ISL 2023-24

“We are delighted to sign Curtis, who is a player with a lot of experience in England and Scotland. He did very well last year for St Mirren and he is a wholehearted striker who works very hard for his team, he has a good game and will be a valuable asset. He was desperate to come to India, despite having the chance to sign longer contracts in the UK because he wanted a new challenge. Bengaluru as a city and a football club suited him very well and I am sure he will contribute plenty of goals and assists while he is here.” said Blues head coach Simon Grayson.

“Main is a striker who was interested in several clubs in Europe, and that he has signed for us shows the confidence he has in our project. He is someone who brings with him the experience of leading attacks with his explosiveness and physicality, and we believe the addition of him will greatly help us in what is definitely going to be a competitive season.” said Blues director of football Darren Caldeira.

Curtis’s main career

Born in South Shields, Main became the youngest player to represent Darlington when he came off the bench for a League Two fixture against Peterborough aged just 15 years and 318 days old. Spells at Middlesborough, Doncaster Rovers and Portsmouth would follow with Main scoring five goals during his time at Fratton Park as Portsmouth won promotion to League One in his first season. In 2018 Main moved to Scotland with Motherwell.

After signing for Aberdeen in 2019, Main spent two seasons with the Dons before returning to England with Shrewsbury Town in 2020. Returning to Scotland with St Mirren in 2021, the leader scored 11 goals in two seasons for the Buddies, before A first Moving abroad with Bangalore completed.