Jamshedpur FC on Wednesday announced the signing of Australian striker Harry Sawyer.
He is the second major foreign signing by JFC’s new coach Aidy Boothroyd as he looks to rebuild the squad following their record-breaking 2021-22 season which saw them win the Shield for the first time. Earlier, they had announced the joining of Brazilian Wellington Priori, who had played for the club in 2018.
A lot will be expected of the Australian who played for South Melbourne FC in National Premier League Victoria in 2021 and 2022. He made 23 appearances last season and was the league’s leading goal scorer with 17 goals.
Upon joining the Red Miners, the Australian said, "This will be my first time in Indian football, and I am excited to join the current ISL League winners. Indian Super League has grown exponentially, with players like Tim Cahill having previously played in the league and for Jamshedpur. I have heard about the rich culture of Jamshedpur and the devoted fans at the Furnace. I am excited to experience the same and looking forward to kick-off my new adventure in India as a part of the Men of Steel."
Before South Melbourne, Harry played for Gold Coast Knights in 2020 and also had a stint in Hong Kong in 2018 where he played for the Wofoo Tai Po. There he scored 4 goals in 10 league games.
Speaking on Harry, coach Boothroyd, meanwhile, said, "Harry’s skill in converting goals, shots inside the box, quick feet, targeted headers, and physicality makes him the best choice as a striker. Harry is a great addition to our squad and a potent threat to opponents’ defences. With his skill-set, guidance, and hard work, we hope to see a lot of goals."
JFC have been actively getting their house in order since the arrival of their new coach as they look to begin their pre-season mid-August in Jamshedpur.
Besides Harry and Wellington, they have already signed Pratik Chaudhari (defender), Rakshit Dagar (goalkeeper), Sheikh Sahil (midfielder), Germanpreet Singh (midfielder) and Mohd Uvais (defender), who played for I-League champions Gokulam Kerala last season.
Apart from this, they have extended the contracts of Peter Hartley, Ricky Lallawmawma and Jitendra Singh.
