Michael Soosairaj (born 25 December 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Odisha and the India national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1994-12-25) 25 December 1994 (age 27) | ||
| Place of birth | Eraviputhenthurai, Tamil Nadu | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Odisha | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| 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– | Odisha | 0 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2019– | India | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:48, 3 March 2022 (UTC) | |||
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 FC 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] 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.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]
After the 2017–18 season, Soosairaj was named the league's best midfielder by the All India Football Federation.[11]
On 9 March 2018, it was announced that Soosairaj had signed for Jamshedpur of the Indian Super League.[12] 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.
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 ₹95 lakh or €120,000 in 2020)[13] Soosairaj scored against Mumbai City FC this season, assisting ATK in a 2–0 win.[14]
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.[15]
On 28 May 2022, the Juggernauts secured the signature of Soosairaj, on a two-year deal.[16][17]
His elder brother Michael Regin is also a professional footballer.[18]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | AFC | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chennai City | 2016–17 | I-League | 11 | 2 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | 18 | 3 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| Chennai City 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[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| ATK Mohun Bagan total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Odisha | 2022–23 | Indian Super League | 0 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Career total | 69 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 12 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
India
ATK Mohun Bagan FC – current squad | |
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