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Ever since its inaugural season in 2014, Indian Super League (ISL) has managed to bring the players from the bygone era looking for one final hurrah in India. Be it Alessandro Del Piero (Delhi Dynamos), Robert Pires (FC Goa), Freddie Ljungberg (Mumbai City FC) or David Trezeguet (Pune City)- it is a never-ending list. Although this year as per the new guidelines it is not compulsory for a club to have a marquee player, it does not mean there will not be any stars on the show when the new season of ISL kicks off on November 17. Keeping on the same path here are five players who will feature in this years Indian Super League.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Blessed with sublime skill and that touch of arrogance that all the best players have, former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov promises to provide everything that a club would want from its big foreign signing. Dubbed as the Bulgarian with the golden first touch, Berbatov has a record which speaks for himself. His 91 goals in just over 200 games for Bayer Leverkusen and netting over 120 times during the period in England with top clubs which include Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham, Berbatov has been the pivot of the striking force for all the teams he has played in. Following spells with Monaco and PAOK, Berbatov has now been reunited with a coach who certainly knows what he is capable of in Meulensteen, who also managed him briefly at Fulham. (AP) Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Having made his debut for Manchester United as an 18-year-old, the defensive stalwart Wes Brown went to enjoy great success in 14 years at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles, four domestic cups and the UEFA Champions League twice. However, life went downhill for Brown after he left the Red Devils. Brown who never worried about relegation during his time with United, survived one relegation dogfight after another with Sunderland five years in a row. The former England international eventually was sold to Blackburn and following a spell with the Black Cats, he just had three league starts. Brown will now be looking for more joy with Kerala Blasters, where he will be working under former United coach Rene Meulensteen. (AP) Robbie Keane (ATK) When Robbie Keane moved to Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011, it looked like it would be his last port-of-call in what had been a celebrated career. As Republic of Ireland’s all-time top scorer with 68 international goals to his name, the clinical marksman was best remembered for his time at Tottenham where he notched 122 goals in 306 appearances. Yet, while many viewed Major League Soccer as a retirement home, Keane continued to fire on all cylinders even as he approached the twilight of his career, hitting the back of the net over a hundred times in his six years in United States. Now 37 but still looking as fit and deadly as ever, there is an excellent reason to believe that the Irishman will be a hit again in his Indian adventure. (AP) Jaime Gavilan (Chennaiyin FC) La Liga outfit Valencia are renowned for their academy having groomed many famous names over the past couple of decades, with the likes of Jordi Alba, Paco Alcacer and Isco being the more famous of their latest graduates. David Silva and Juan Mata are arguably the most renowned of Los Che’s recent Cantera products but, before they broke onto the scene, there was another playmaker – blessed with vision and technique – tipped to make the grade: Jaime Gavilan. While he ultimately failed to carve out a long career at Mestalla, the Spaniard, who won both the UEFA European U-16 and U-19 Championships in his youth, still went on to establish himself as a La Liga stalwart with Getafe. No stranger to the ISL, Gavilan was previously on the books of ATK – then still known as Atletico Kolkata – before most recently spending time in South Korea with Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur FC) He may not be a Premier League legend but Andre Bikey will be well remembered by fans of English football from the past decade. The powerful defender was an integral first-team member for both Reading and Burnley during their time in the top flight and also played Championship football for Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Charlton. Like Gavilan, Bikey has prior experience playing in India from his previous stints with NorthEast United and Pune City, and it shouldn’t take long for Jamshedpur FC fans to warm to him given his committed displays on the field. (Twitter)

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