Cédric Hengbart, the French defender who played a pivotal role in Kerala Blasters FC reaching the finals of the first season of the Indian Super League (ISL), is back donning the yellow jersey once again for ISL 2016.

Soft-spoken and calm but tenacious and committed, the adaptable defender who also has an eye for the goal began his professional football career at 21 when he was drafted by the professional French football team Stade Malherbe Caen. Followed by stints with AJ Auxere FC and AC Ajaccio FC, he has registered 13 goals and 12 assists in 251 Ligue 1 appearances. In his ISL debut, he played 13 matches for the Kerala Blasters registering 101 clearances and 49 tackles with the second best passing accuracy of 88.19%.

Commenting on his return, Cédric Hengbart said, “After a wonderful first season with the Kerala Blasters, it feels good to be back home again! The fan support in the first season was impressive and I look forward to playing in front of the home crowd again!”

Kerala Blasters Head Coach Steve Coppell said, “The return of Cédric will strengthen the team further. Cédric is a highly adaptable defender skilled at positioning and game reading. We are looking forward to a good show in the ISL!”

(Kerala Blasters FC Press Release)