Indian Super League: FC Pune City sign Gabriel Fernandes, Shankar Sampingiraj for 2018-19 ISL season

Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Pune City have signed winger Gabriel Fernandes and defensive midfielder Shankar Sampingiraj to strengthen their squad for the 2018-19 season of the tournament.

Gabriel, who last played for East Bengal in the I-League, enters the ISL with the FC Pune City after a gap of two years, a media release issued by the club said.

FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwelsaid,"Gabriels speed and agility on the wings gives the team good options." Fernandes started his youth career with Dempo and Sporting Goa. In 2012, he joined the Mumbai FC.

The 30-year old made his ISL debut with the FC Goa in 2014 and joined Mumbai City FC in the next season.

Since then, the winger has played in the I-League for Salgaocar, Churchill Bros and East Bengal.

Sampingirajcomes in to the FC Pune City fold after having an impressive outing for the Bengaluru FC leading up to a national call for the U-23 side.

The Karnataka-born player began his professional career with the HAL and later signed with Pailan Arrows followed by a stint at the DSK Shivajians (on loan).

After getting the young midfielders signature, Modwelsaid, "Shankar is a hard-working player, who is good on the ball and is technically sound, which adds a lot of quality in the way that we want to play our football." 

Sampingiraj made his India U-23 debut against Uzbekistan in a 2016 AFC U23 qualifier in Bangladesh. The young midfielder appeared for the Kerala Blasters FC in the 2015 ISL season.