Jamie Maclaren Joins Mohun Bagan Super Giant: A New Chapter in Indian Football

New Delhi, India – Indian Super League (ISL) Shield Winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant have signed Jamie Maclaren, the all-time top scorer of Australia’s A-League. The club announced the signing on their social media handles on Monday.

The Australian forward has signed a four-year contract with the Kolkata club. Maclaren, who played for Melbourne City for six seasons, won the A-League Men’s Premiership three times in a row from 2020-21 to 2022-23. He has also played for Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar in the A-League, leaving as the all-time top scorer with 149 goals and a record five-time Golden Boot winner.

Maclaren made his international debut for Scotland but later joined the Australian U19 side. He has represented the Socceroos at the U-20 and U-23 levels and made his senior debut in 2016. So far, he has played 30 games for the Australian national team, scoring eight goals, including two hat-tricks.

Upon signing his contract, Maclaren said, “I watched a lot of Indian football, dating back to the Iain Hume days. It was broadcast on Australian sports channels, and some world-class players played in the ISL. But I chose Mohun Bagan Super Giant because of the incredible history, and secondly, their trophy ambitions match mine. Having won a lot in Australia, I’m looking forward to adding to an already decorated group of staff and players.”

Maclaren is excited about the Kolkata derby, a match he has watched before, noting the incredible atmosphere created by over 60,000 fans. He will join a distinguished roster of foreign players at the Mariners, including Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Greg Stewart, all of whom he has played alongside or against in the past.

“Dimitri Petratos and Jason Cummings. Well, I’ve had the luxury of playing alongside and against both. Dimi is a creator, a player who is very brave on the ball and chooses the right pass for his strikers. I know he will provide a lot of assists for me but also score a lot of goals himself. Jase, well, he’s a left-footed version of myself. We have a similar history–both our heritages go back to Edinburgh, we both played for Hibernian, and we love being inside the penalty box like any number 9, waiting to finish off chances that come our way. Greg, also another attacking threat, has already shown his qualities in India, but I know of him through my time in the SPL. We won’t have a problem creating and exciting our fans, I can assure you of that,” he said.

Maclaren concluded by addressing the fans, “To our fans, I cannot wait to represent this badge, this city and fight every game! The first goal will be a nice feeling, I know the standards that have been set on and off the pitch, and I will be doing my best and hardest every day so that in the end we can celebrate more trophies.”