Free-scoring Ranti Martins has joined another Indian league team Prayag United after a superlative run at Dempo FC.

Martins, who caught the attention of other top Indian teams like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, joined Prayag for a fee of 1.75m crores.

Speaking exclusively with MTNFootball.com, Martins thanked Dempo officials, team mates and fans for being there for him while he was with the team.

"I thank everybody that made my stay at Dempo worthwhile and memorable. I am grateful to the coaches, officials, my team mates and the fans for been there for me,” he said.

“I am happy with my move to Prayag United. I signed a year’s deal with them though they wanted a longer term deal.

“My desire is to win the league and cup double with my new team or at worst get the team to a top-three finish. I also want to retain my top scorers' award.”

Martins scored a whopping 32 goals in the league to set a new record and erased his previous mark of 30 goals.

He is also all-time league top scorer in India with 147 goals.

Prayag United, who finished seventh last season with 42 points, have another Nigerian, Bello Razaq, on their books.

Meanwhile, Martins is in line to win Indian Fans Player of the Year after he was nominated alongside East Bengal's Tolgay Ozbey, compatriot Odafe Okoli.

Last year, the 25-year-old striker lost the award to Mehtab Hussein.

ogbeche77: Is India a footballing nation.. Dude should come to Europe if he wants to be taken seriously

careytommy: let him go to Sudan or even SA and score 30 goals first before he can be entitled to 'make noise'

trigar12:
Rubbish!!! Go and check his beautiful goals and decide 4 ur self. He is talented.

semid4lyfe: How much hin pay you to do PR for am?

Anyway, a few videos would have sufficed instead of this long epistle

fummylolah: Its actually very dishearten the way we Nigerian condemn our own.. This is someone i know so very well and i know his many struggles. He's got talent but no connection. He actually struggled in the game with the likes of Taiye Taiwo in the then Mighty Club in Agege. When opportunity was not forth coming, a friend of his that plays football in India gave him an invite to come and show his skills in that was how he started. Rome was not built in a day and he definitely had to start somewhere. Not everyone would have the opportunity to play in the ALMIGHTY ARSENAL OR CHELSEA but if you are determined and focus, you wold get there. we all know even to play in our Super Eagle team or Golden Eaglet, we must have the connection. He had approached several of our Nigerian Coaches for an invite or a chance for him to display his talent but the answers we get is for him to go and bring Millions of naira(The Nigerian greed comes into every area of our lives). A land were we believe in god fatherism and money(bribe) before anything get done. If he had gone to India to play football, its because it was the best offer he had and he is making the best of it.
To get a club to play for in Europe is neither easy (He is still trying his best to get a link).
He is not a poor guy by the grace of God cause he is the highest paid footballer in Indian(Earns well over N50 million Naira Yearly)
Yes you heard me right 50million Naira .
At least he took a step to improve his life.
what have you done with yours.
Would it have been better if he didn't take the offer and waited forever for THE ALMIGHTY EUROPEAN CLUBS?
All he needs is an invite to play for his beloved country to prove his worth.
THERE ARE STILL A MILLION AND ONE TALENTS OUT THERE THAT CAN IMPROVE OUR FOOTBALL HISTORY BUT HAVE GOT NO OPPORTUNITY.

honeric01: Must everyone play in Europe before he or she can be tagged good? what is wrong with some Nigerians self? why would he take a pay cut to play in the irish league when he was told to move to europe? that dude is sharp and very creative, but the fact that he plays in india does not mean he can't play football, are there no humans in india that plays football? some people with their mentality self.

scopusng: I watched this guy video on ltv yesterday. I must confess the guy is too good.

jpworld:

The quality of Indian League is terrible, even Lagos grassroots football looks far better than the Indian premier league.

For u to start making noise 4 his call to Super eagles shows, u must have been paid, and how come dis story makes front page.

If you want to play for the super eagles, makes sure you are in a good European league or Even Enyimba.

toluxa1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoonryoET9Y



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoonryoET9Y

honeric01:

You dey mind some people? they haven't even seen the guy play, yet they are saying he's not good, what's wrong with some people self?




Look at me very well, do i look like i care about what you think? if i was paid to promote him, how's that your problem? are you the one who's going to pick him to play for the eagles or whoever decides to pick him? were sport-splash (LTV also paid to have him interviewed? if you don't have anything to say, just hush..

For the records, i don't decide what makes the front page so shove your ignorance into your pocket.

And please show me where i asked him to be called up for the eagles, even if i made such call, does that mean the coaches would heed to my calls?

fummylolah: @jpworld, I don't blame ur retard self cause all you do is come on nairaland to condem others & their effort. He should have stayed back in Nigeria & queued at d newspaper stand daily to read complete football just like u do, Jobless soul. I doubt if ur name is even written in pencil on ur street not to talk of ur LGA. He makes over 50million yearly, deal with it. Am sure selling urself till ur 5th generation won't make dat much & datz why u find it hard to believe. One day u going to spend 90mins of ur miserable life watching him play on ur TV( thatz if u have one). He is a star & he is going to shine.