Rajesh S.

Rajesh S is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker.

Rajesh S

Personal information
Full name	Rajesh Soosainayagam
Date of birth	(1992-05-30) 30 May 1992 (age 33)
Place of birth	Pozhiyoor, Kerala, India
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward / Midfielder
Youth career
	SMRC Pozhiyoor
	United Kerala
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011-2013	BEML	6	(3)
2016–2017	FC Thrissur Kerala	7	(6)
2017-2018	Viva Chennai	7	(6)
2018-2020	Gokulam Kerala	15	(2)
2020–2021	Chennai City	12	(1)
International career
2018–	Indian Railways	6	(6)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:00 , 30 May 2021 (UTC)

Early life

Rajesh S was born in Pozhiyoor, a fishing hamlet at the southernmost tip of Kerala. His father and three brothers are fishermen.^[1] As a child, he was spotted by a local football coach who asked him to join the SMRC Pozhiyoor academy.^[2]

Career

Early career

Rajesh started his career at SMRC and played for SMRC and United Kerala in the Thiruvananthapuram Super Division.^[1] He later joined BEML, a club in Bangalore. He has represented Karnataka and Railways in the Santosh Trophy and has scored 28 goals in total in the tournament. He scored 8 goals in 2018 Santosh Trophy for Karnataka and was adjudged as the best footballer in the tournament.^[2]

Gokulam Kerala

Rajesh made his professional debut on 27 October 2018 against Mohun Bagan after coming on as a substitute in the second half. He played a part in his team's equalising goal and later forced a fingertip save from the keeper.^[3] He scored his first I-League goal against Shillong Lajong on 11 November, registering a 3-1 win for his club.^[4] In the next game he scored the solitary goal in a 1-0 win over defending champions Minerva Punjab.^[5]