Draft:Anandhu Rajendran

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Personal information
Date of birth (1990-07-25) 25 July 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Kollam, Kerala, India
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Sleaford Town FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022/23 West Bridgford FC 40
2023/24 Dunkirk FC 3
2023/24 Sandiacre Town FC 15
2023/24 FC Sez 25
2024-Present Sleaford Town FC 1
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anandhu Rajendran (pronounced AH-nahn-dhoo RA-jenn-dran), aka Anandhu, is a professional footballer from Nottingham, England who was born on July 25, 1990, in Kerala, India.

He has been listed among the Indian players who played in European football leagues.. He currently plays as a Goalkeeper for Sleaford Town FC[1][2][3] in Lincoln, England who competes in the United Counties League[4] (Step 5 of the English football pyramid).

Club Career

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Early Years

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Anandhu was born in Kollam, Kerala, began playing football at the age of 14. He started his foundational coaching at Bravehearts Football Academy and Thirumullavaram Football Club under the guidance of Coach Alexander Stephen and Coach Sudhir B.T. Initially, he focused on 7-a-side football rather than traditional 11-a-side matches, playing for various sevens football clubs in the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.

Anandhu’s breakthrough came in 2012, when he played for Gymkhana Thrissur, one of Kerala's most prominent sevens football teams, during a tournament held in Kollam. His exceptional performances earned him the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament award and the position of regular goalkeeper for Gymkhana, opening opportunities to participate in major All-India Sevens tournaments across Kerala, particularly in the Malabar region.

Transition to District and State-Level Football

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Although Anandhu primarily focused on 7-a-side football, he also represented the Kollam district team at the state level in various age categories, including U-16, U-21, and senior competitions. However, during this period, 11-a-side football remained secondary in his career aspirations, as he prioritized excelling in Sevens football.

Move to England

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Anandhu with Seamus McDonagh

Anandhu later transitioned to professional 11-a-side football, joining West Bridgford FC[5] in England, as a Goalkeeper in the Nottingham Senior League in 2022.

West Bridgford FC (2022/23)

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Anandhu joined West Bridgford FC[5] and made an immediate impact during the 2022/23 season. His outstanding performances as a goalkeeper were pivotal in securing the Nottingham Senior League Division 2 Championship[6], marking the first "Senior-level" trophy in the club's history. Anandhu's consistency contributed to the team achieving the best defensive record in the league and in earning the team's promotion. For his exceptional contributions, he was honoured as the "Best Newcomer of the Season".

At WBFC, he was training under the legendary goalkeeper coach Seamus McDonagh who was the Goalkeeper Head coach of Republic of Ireland National Team[7] who played in UEFA Euro Cup 2016.

Dunkirk FC (2023/24)

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Following his impressive season with West Bridgford FC, Anandhu Rajendran earned a move to Dunkirk F.C.[8], [9]one of the most successful football clubs in the East Midlands. He debuted[10] for Dunkirk FC in the United Counties League Div 1 during the 2023/24 season[11][12].

Sandiacre Town FC and FC Sez (2023/24)

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Anandhu's time at Dunkirk FC was short, during the 23/24 Winter Transfer, he joined Sandiacre Town FC[13] [14]who are in the same league and also secured a dual registration with FC Sez[15][16].

Sleaford Town FC (2024–Present)

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The 24/25 season marked a significant milestone in Anandhu Rajendran's career as he signed a one-year contract[17][18] with Sleaford Town FC, competing in the United Counties League (Step 5). In November 2024, he made his debut for the club[19][20][21], setting a remarkable National record as the Highest level in English football ever played by an Indian goalkeeper. While this achievement awaits official verification by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Style of play

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Anandhu began his football career as an Attacking midfielder at the school level. As per the advice from his coach, Sudhir B.T, he changed his position to Goalkeeper. He always prefer to play as a Sweeper keeper. He is considered as one of the best Penalty shoot out specialist in Sevens football.

Personal Life

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Anandhu was born in the village of Umayanalloor in Kollam district, Kerala. He completed his schooling at St. Jude Higher Secondary School Mukhathala and NSS Higher Secondary School, Chathanoor. After completing his school education, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Technology degree from the University of Kerala.

Before pursuing his football career in the UK, Anandhu worked as a Software professional in Trivandrum Technopark

References

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  1. ^ "Sleaford Town FC | GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  2. ^ "Official website of Sleaford town".
  3. ^ "Sleaford Town FC Signing".
  4. ^ "Sleaford Town FC | GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ^ a b "West Bridgford Colts lll | Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. ^ "WestBridgford winners of NSL DIV 2 Trophy presentation".
  7. ^ "Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane leave Republic of Ireland roles". BBC Sport. 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  8. ^ "Transfer News Dunkirk FC".
  9. ^ "1st Team squad". www.dunkirkfc.club. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  10. ^ "Aug 5, Dunkirk FC 1 Selston FC 1 | GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  11. ^ "Aug 8, Holwell Sports FC 0 Dunkirk FC 4 | GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  12. ^ "Aug 12, Harrowby United FC 1 Dunkirk FC 0 | GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  13. ^ CR Media (2023-11-25). Sandiacre Town 0-5 Newark Town, United Counties Football League, Division 1, 25/11/2023. 4K. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Bourne Town F.C. (2023-10-28). Bourne Town FC vs Sandiacre Town FC | UCL Division One | Match Day Highlights. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "F.C. Sez | Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  16. ^ "FC Sez | Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  17. ^ "Sleaford Town 0-0 Shirebrook Town - Match Report". www.sleafordtownfc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  18. ^ https://x.com/SleafordTownFC/status/1854984399533592587/photo/1. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ "Sleaford Town 0-0 Shirebrook Town - Match Report". www.sleafordtownfc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  20. ^ Sleaford Town FC (2024-11-10). MATCH REACTION: Matt Evans post Shirebrook Town. Retrieved 2024-11-29 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ "Sleaford Match squad".