Michael Soosairaj (born 25 December 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for I-League club Gokulam Kerala.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 December 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Eraviputhenthurai, Tamil Nadu | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger / Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2016 | Arrows Football Club | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2018 | Chennai City | 29 | (5) |
| 2018–2019 | Jamshedpur | 14 | (4) |
| 2019–2020 | ATK | 20 | (3) |
| 2020–2022 | ATK Mohun Bagan | 6 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Odisha | 2 | (0) |
| 2024– | Gokulam Kerala | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2019 | India | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:48, 27 October 2023 (UTC) | |||
Career
Early career and Chennai City
Born in Eraviputhenthurai, Tamil Nadu, Soosairaj first moved to Chennai when he attended Madras Christian College.[1] At the age of 10, he started training with his local football club/academy St. Catherine, one of the oldest football clubs in the state. He represented the college in Inter-University tournaments before joining Arrows Football Club of the CFA Senior Division.[1] After spending time with Arrows, Soosairaj joined another CFA Senior Division side, Chennai City.[1] He also played for Tamil Nadu in the Santosh Trophy.[2]
In December 2016, Chennai City FC were announced as a direct-entry side into the I-League, India's top-tier football league.[3][4][5] He made his professional debut for the club on 4 December 2017 in Chennai City's second match of the 2017–18 season against Gokulam Kerala. Pandiyan started and played the whole match as Chennai City drew 1–1.[6] On 17 January 2017, Soosairaj made his professional debut in the I-League for Chennai City against DSK Shivajians. He came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Malsawmfela despite Chennai City losing 2–0.[7]
On 8 April 2018, Soosairaj scored his first professional goal in the league against Minerva Punjab. His 41st-minute goal was the first in a 2–0 victory.[8] He then scored his second goal of the season a few weeks later on 22 April against Churchill Brothers. This time, Soosairaj scored Chennai City's only goal in the 54th minute as they lost 5–1.[9] The next season, Soosairaj scored his first brace, scoring twice against Churchill Brothers on 17 February 2018. His two goals contributed to a 3–1 victory for Chennai City.[10] He then scored his third goal of the season a couple weeks later on 2 March against Minerva Punjab. His 5th-minute goal was the first in a 2–1 victory for Chennai City.[11]
After the 2017–18 season, Soosairaj was named the league's best midfielder by the All India Football Federation.[12]
Jamshedpur
On 9 March 2018, it was announced that Soosairaj had signed for Jamshedpur of the Indian Super League.[13] He scored 4 goals in 14 matches during the 2018–19 season. He was brilliant throughout the season playing as a left or right winger . He earned a lot of admiration for his performance. He was one of the standout Indian players of the season, and his performances led to him gaining his first international call-up.
ATK
Before the start of the 2019–20 season, Indian Super League side ATK activated the release clause of Michael Soosairaj as ₹90 lakh (equivalent to ₹1.1 crore or €140,000 in 2023)[14] Soosairaj scored against Mumbai City FC this season, assisting ATK in a 2–0 win.[15]
ATK Mohun Bagan
After the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan, Soosairaj joined ATK Mohun Bagan, and was included in twenty-two men squad by manager Antonio Lopez Habas for the team's 2021 AFC Cup inter-zonal semifinal match against Uzbek side Nasaf.[16]
Odisha
On 28 May 2022, the Juggernauts secured the signature of Soosairaj, on a two-year deal.[17][18]
Personal life
His elder brother Michael Regin is also a professional footballer.[19]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 27 October 2023[20]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | AFC | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chennai City | 2016–17 | I-League | 11 | 2 | 2[a] | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 18 | 3 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| Total | 29 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 | ||
| Jamshedpur | 2018–19 | Indian Super League | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 4 | |
| ATK | 2019–20 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 3 | ||
| ATK Mohun Bagan | 2020–21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Odisha | 2022–23 | Indian Super League | 1 | 0 | 4[c][a] | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 71 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80 | 12 | ||
International
- As of matches played till 5 June 2019[21]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours
India
- King's Cup third place: 2019
Individual