Calcutta: After Edmund Lalrindika’s accomplishment at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday, the pain he had suffered six years ago in a derby should cease to haunt him.
It was on January 19, 2020, when Edmund, then a promising youngster in red and gold colours, had come up with a superb assist for Marcos Jimenez to score against Mohun Bagan in an I-League clash before a near full-house Salt Lake Stadium.
But unfortunately, an injury cut short Edmund’s stint in that game and he eventually got sidelined for over a year.
His career too was at stake when he underwent a spine surgery in March 2022. However, he ensured not to lose faith, before the turnaround finally began in September 2023 when he joined Inter Kashi from Bengaluru FC.
With current East Bengal head coach Antonio Lopez Habas in charge of Inter Kashi in the 2024-25 I-League, Edmund played a prime role for the club with seven goals and nine assists to help them finish on top.
Growing in experience and maturity, the 27-year-old Mizo attacking midfielder-cum-striker made a return to East Bengal last season and played his role with distinction in their ISL crown-winning jaunt. The ISL success added to his confidence, which culminated in a hat-trick in the high-pressure Durand Cup final against Mohun Bagan Super Giant that earned East Bengal a thumping 4-1 win as well as the trophy.
“Edmund always stood out for a very good combination of technical quality, intelligence and work rate. Technically, he is clean with the ball, has good control in tight spaces, can combine quickly with teammates and has the ability to arrive in dangerous positions and finish actions,” Oscar Bruzon, under whose supervision East Bengal won the 2025-26 ISL, told The Telegraph from Lampung (in Sumatra) on Monday.
Edmund is a thorough professional who doesn’t take even one training session lightly, Bruzon emphasised. “What impressed me most was his competitive mentality. He’s a winner.
“In every training drill, exercise or competitive game, he pushes himself extremely hard to be the best he can be, but always within the collective interests of the team. He competes, works, presses and never takes a training session lightly,” the Spaniard, now coaching Indonesian side Bhayangkara FC, said.
Resilience is another major characteristic of Edmund, the former East Bengal coach pointed out. “Considering what he went through with his serious injury, his resilience also says a lot about his character.
“He worked his way back and continued competing at a high level. For a coach, having a player with that combination of quality, hunger, discipline and team mentality is always valuable. I’m very happy to see him performing like this and getting the recognition his work deserves.”
The second from East Bengal to register a derby hat-trick, Edmund was also complimented by Bhaichung Bhutia – the first from the club to score thrice in a Bagan clash.
“What a game by Edmund! Complete class… Scoring three goals in the first half was big for him as well as the club. I welcome him to the exclusive hat-trick club,” Bhutia said.
Does Edmund have it in him to be the next star of Indian football? “Hope he keeps scoring goals this season. I’m looking forward to seeing him succeed in the ISL too and helping East Bengal win the trophy again,” Bhutia stated.
The start to the season couldn’t have been better for both Edmund and East Bengal, but this Neymar fan has his feet firmly on the ground, knowing that the job is only half done. “I still have a long way to go,” he acknowledged.
“I do feel really proud for what I did in the (Durand) final. But more important was our winning the trophy. This is just the beginning, and we need to win more trophies going forward,” Edmund stated.
In another development, East Bengal have signed a year’s contract with Croat Diego Zivulic, who comes from NK Rudes and can play as both centre-back and defensive midfielder.