Ranti Martins Soleye is a phenomenal Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for East Bengal in the I-League.

The Nigerian striker of East Bengal has won his third award in the Best Foreign Player category...

East Bengal’s star striker has won the Best Foreign Player Award at Football Players Association of India‘s (FPAI) Indian Football Awards held at Mumbai’s Cooperage Stadium on Monday evening.

Martins, who finished as top scorer in the I-League 2015-16 season with 12 goals from 16 matches, beat competition from the likes of Darryl Duffy (Salgaocar FC) and the Mohun Bagan’s attacking trident of Katsumi Yusa, Cornell Glen and Sony Norde.

"This is the first time I am attending the awards. It is a very special award for me. I thank everyone for this award. I have been in India for a long time and I have many friends here. Bengaluru FC deserved to win the I-League title this year," reacted the 29 year old after receiving the award at the Cooperage on Monday.

The three time I-League winner scored three-fourth of the total scored by East Bengal this season, which only highlights his importance in the Red and Gold set-up.

He was also recently named the Best Striker in the I-League 2015-16 season for his goal scoring exploits.

History

Born in September 5, 1989.
Young Ranti Martin Soleye like many african and Nigerians especially started off playing football for his high school Anwar-Ul-Islam College Agege, a remote town in the urban city of Lagos Nigeria where he played the principal cup and shell cup, from where he was discovered and moved to Ghana to play with Asante Kotoko Academy in Ghana before settling at King Faisal Babies in Kumasi.

His mastery of the round leather ball impressed his handlers in Ghana who felt he needed the global stage to flaunt his dazzling skills.This culminated to maestro's move to India at 18 Years to King Faisal Dempo SC in the 2004/05 season. He was to be groomed there till 12/13 season when he moved to United SC India then a stint on loan Rangdajied United. He would later proceed to East Bengal from where he was sent on loan to the Indian Super League FC Goa in 14/15 season where he was outstanding and once again proved his maestro was no fluke. The Club Management at East Bengal could barely wait for him to see out the loan deal at FC Goa and gave him his rightful position in the club in the last season where he just finished top scorer and yet won for the 3rd time, the I-League's best foreign footballer.

Click on the link for more pictures of the maestro.

Goal.com

http://naijabankers.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2566

More pictures

I hope the NFF is reading this piece. This young striker deserves to be in the National team. @mods pls do the needful, let's support a budding talent

awikonko:
I hope the NFF is reading this piece. This young striker deserves to be in the National team. @mods pls do the needful, let's support a budding talent

I hope the mods do the needful my brother...let's contribute our quota in developing our football.