Edu Bedia to return to Spain after terminating contract with Gokulam Kerala

FC Goa legend and Gokulam Kerala FC midfielder Edu Bedia has decided to terminate his contract with the Kozhikode-based club and return home to Spain.

It is reported that he has a deal in place with Gimnastica de Torrelavega, who compete in the fourth tier of the footballing structure in Spain.

Bedia leaves India after having spent seven years here. Six of those seven years were spent at the Fatorda in Goa, where he is deemed a club legend.

The 34-year-old, who is known for his silky touches and commanding presence in midfield, will be dearly missed by everyone who saw him playing in this country.

Although it is incorrect to assume that he was losing his grip on the game at the advanced age of 34, his demotion from FC Goa to Gokulam Kerala in the I-League earlier this season seemed to say so.

Bedia did not have much of an impact for the Malabarians this season but they will surely miss the experience that he brought to the fore.

Edu Bedia became a footballing icon in Goa

Edu Bedia signed for Gokulam Kerala ahead of this season.

The 34-year-old, who was born in Santander, arrived in India from Real Zaragoza at the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

Although he had initially signed a two-year deal, Edu Bedia eventually ended up staying in Margao for six years.

Among other highlights, Bedia was also named as the skipper of FC Goa ahead of the 2020-21 season.

He will be remembered most fondly for being the first player to score a goal for an Indian club in the AFC Champions League when he did so for the Gaurs against Persepolis FC in a 1-2 defeat the same season.

He was the longest-serving foreign player for the Gaurs when he parted ways with them ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Bedia played a vital role in the club’s numerous successes, including leading the team to the ISL 2019-20 League Winners’ Shield, the 2019 Super Cup, and the 2021 Durand Cup.

About the author

Mohul is a senior football, cricket and Olympic Sports writer at Sportskeeda, and has been in the organisation for more than 7 years. Some of his best work includes over a hundred exclusive interviews with famous sports personalities, insider talk and transfer speculations. He has also covered the entirety of the 2023-24 ISL season, Kalinga Super Cup and 2023-24 Pro Kabaddi League from the ground.

An MBA degree holder in Finance, Mohul is also a professional cricketer and is currently in the reserves for Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy team. He’s also played league football in Hyderabad.

His football interest sparked after watching countless Rahim League matches at the Gymkhana and supporting the State Bank of Hyderabad. He grew up hearing stories about the legendary Syed Abdul Rahim and his incredible football team of the 1960s, which had a big influence on him. He has admired Manchester United’s dominance in English and European football as well.

Tennis star Leander Paes, Olympic gold-medalist Abhinav Bindra, cricketing legend Rahul Dravid and football star Chinglensana Singh are Mohul’s favorite athletes. He is a staunch Hyderabad FC supporter, and Sahil Tavora’s 88th-minute equalizer in the 2021-22 ISL Cup final against Kerala Blasters is one of his favorite footballing moments. Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Olympics also had a huge impact on Mohul.

In his work, he strives to write relevant, accurate and unbiased stories by conducting thorough research. When not working, Mohul enjoys reading books and listening to heavy metal and rock music.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar