2016 Indian Super League finalists Kerala Blasters have made a key managerial appointment after naming former Shillong Lajong manager Thangboi Singto as their Assistant Coach for the upcoming season of the IMG-Reliance owned league.
The 43-year-old is also expected to oversee Blasters' development programmes as the Director of Youth Football.
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The Manipuri coach parted ways with Shillong Lajong mutually at the end of the 2016-17 domestic season after a four-year stint at the helm of the Meghalaya-based team.
Kerala Blasters apparently made contact with Singto during this year's Federation Cup when Steve Coppell, who led Blasters to the final last season, came to India.
After negotiations, Singto signed the contract on Saturday with the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned franchise. Interestingly, Steve Coppell is yet to sign a new deal with the team and is waiting for clarity on the rules and other details of the Indian Super League before committing to the Tuskers.
Singto has garnered a lot of appreciation for the work he did in nurturing and promoting young talents at Lajong and at the same time maintaining a competitive team. He led Shillong Lajong to a fifth-placed finish in the recently concluded I-League season, with youngsters like Issac Vanlalsawma and Nim Dorjee Tamang standing out.