Ozbey secures deal with Indian League side East Bengal FC

The NSW Premier League?s deadliest striker was terrific for 2010 Champions Blacktown City FC having scored 22 goals in 21 matches which alerted the Indian club about the marksman?s ability.
?East Bengal FC are the biggest club in India and I have signed until the end of January 2011 with an option to extend till May.
?Everything has happened so quickly but I cannot wait for this challenge to commence.
?I?ve had a great time with Blacktown in 2010 it has been an amazing and very successful season for myself and the club.
?Winning the Grand Final against Bonnyrigg White Eagles and taking out the Robbie Slater Medal for Player of the Match was unbelievable and a moment that I will never forget.
?To have been able to pick up my third Golden Boot was also very special for me but I have my teammates to thank for this.?
East Bengal FC are managed by Englishman Trevor Morgan who played for the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and a couple of lower English sides before moving to the managerial side of things in 1995 where he took over West Australian State League side Sorrento FC.
The club itself plays its home matches at the Salt Lake Stadium which holds 120,000 as its official capacity something Ozbey cannot wait to play in front of.
?I have heard that during the big derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, the stadium is packed to the brim, something like 120,000 crammed into one stadium, you don?t get to see that even for a Barcelona match at the Nou Camp its apparently that crazy.?
FIFA approved agent Paul Dickinson contacted Ozbey after he continued hearing of the Blacktown City FC star?s good run of form in the NSW Premier League which led to the deal going through with East Bengal FC.
?Paul Dickinson contacted me and told me that there was an ideal opportunity for me to continue playing football abroad and I went from there and have not looked backed since.?
The 24-year-old has become the second Australian in playing in the Indian League as former Sutherland Sharks player Srecko Mitrovic also played for East Bengal after his short stint in the NSW Premier League in 2009.
The ?I-League? as it is known commenced in 2007 and has 14 teams competing for the championship while there are two domestic Cup competitions as well.
-By Mark Stavroulakis