Former star Wellington Phoenix striker Roy Krishna has confirmed that he's taking his prodigious talents to India.
Krishna has signed a one-year deal with ATK, a club in the big-money Indian Super League.
The 31-year-old is coming off a landmark season in the A-League, where he won both the Golden Boot award and the Johnny Warren Medal as the competition's best player.
"I have taken my time to make what I feel is the right decision for me and my family," Krishna said. "ATK presents a great new opportunity for me in a new league."
One of 10 teams in the competition, the Kolkata-based club has won the ISL twice, since its inception in 2014. Their homebase is the 70,000-seat VYBK Stadium, the biggest football stadium in India.
Head coach Antonio Lopez Habas is excited about what the Fijian national captain can add to his squad next season, which begins in August.
"He is a prolific striker with leadership skills under his belt," said Habas. "He will bring attack and variety to the team, and his confidence will give an edge."
After six seasons in Wellington, during which he became the Phoenix's record goalscorer (51 in 122 games), Krishna insisted the time was right for him and his family to move on. For the Fijian of Indian descent, his new destination seemed a natural fit.
"I'm grateful for the Wellington Phoenix and the fans of the club, who showed me so much love. I leave with the best memories of the club.
"One-hundred-and-forty years ago, our forefathers left Kolkata on board the 'Leonidas' in search of new opportunities in Fiji. I feel like we've come full circle, as I head back to where it all began for them.
"I'm impressed by what I've heard and seen of the club, its culture and its fanbase, and I'm really excited to head out there in the next few months."
Under recently departed coach Mark Rudan, Krishna lifted his game to a new level during the Phoenix's 2018/19 campaign, powering them to the finals for the first time since 2015 with a monster 18-goal haul.
He's since become part of a mass exodus from the club, with several players heading offshore or following Rudan to A-League newcomers Western United.
Newshub.
