ATK completed a transfer swoop on Monday, signing Motherwell FC defender Carl McHugh as their first new foreign recruit for the upcoming season.
McHugh, who signed a two-year deal with the club, joins Michael Soosairaj and Michael Regin, signed from Jamshedpur FC and I-League champions Chennai City FC respectively. Soosairaj has reportedly signed a five-year contract while his brother Regin has penned a two-year deal.
The triple transfer coup represents the early phases of ATK’s aggressive rebuild for the upcoming season as the two-time Indian Super League champions look to get back the glory days under newly appointed head coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
McHugh comes with the experience of having played in England with Reading’s youth setups, Plymouth Argyle in League Two and Bradford City in League One.
His most recent venture was in the Scottish Premiership with Motherwell, where he made 47 appearances last season. McHugh has spent most of his career playing as a centre back but can also operate as a left back and a defensive midfielder.
On the international front, McHugh has represented the Ireland U-17, U-19 and U-21 national teams.
ISL fans will be familiar with Soosairaj, who impressed for Jamshedpur last season. Having joined the Miners from Chennai City before the ISL 2018-19 season, the 24-year-old exceeded all expectations and emerged as one of the most promising talents in the country with some scintillating performances.
Soosairaj’s elder brother Regin, on the other hand, joins ATK on the back of a successful season with Chennai City. The Tamil Nadu-born player had a major role in Akbar Nawas’ I-League 2018-19 title-winning campaign.