PANAJI
FC Goa is pleased to announce the signing of Harsh Patre, a talented 22-year-old midfielder, ahead of the 2025-26 season. A proud Goan, Harsh returns home after a stint with Bengaluru FC, becoming the latest addition to the Gaurs’ squad as the club continues to strengthen its local core. FC Goa have been monitoring Harsh Patre for 7 years since they saw him play first at the age of 15.
FC Goa have been following Harsh Patre’s journey during his growing up days while playing with the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) academy and he came under FC Goa’s radar first in the 2018-19 season during the AIFF Junior League, while ironically, playing against FC Goa. And that performance left its mark on the club scouts who were relentless in ensuring that Harsh Patre plays for FC Goa someday.
Speaking on the signing, FC Goa’s Director of Football Lokesh Bherwani said:
“The first time we saw Harsh play was back in the 2018-19 season when he was a 15 year old playing against FC Goa U15’s. We were immediately very impressed with his technical ability, game awareness and speed of decision making. These are the qualities we look for in a player at FC Goa.”
Post his GFDC days Harsh Patre was selected by the scouts at the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to join the ambitious but now defunct Indian Arrows project. Harsh got exposed to playing at a higher level, in tougher conditions and physical opponents in the I-League where he represented Arrows and got his first taste of what professional football at the highest might look like.
Harsh then chose to move to ISL side Bengaluru FC in the 2022-23 season having joined their reserve side and was quick to move to the club’s senior team within a year and was quick to make his ISL debut. Throughout his time in Bengaluru FC, Harsh kept getting noticed for his performances in the Indian Super League, the first division of Indian Football.
“Earlier this year we made another approach to convince Harsh to return home to play in front of the home crowd and we finally managed to convince him. Harsh is a player we had identified many years ago and he fits really well in our long term strategy.” Bherwani said.
“Having been witness to Harsh’s growth and development over the years we believe he is someone who fits into FC Goa’s playing style. We are confident that Harsh is at a stage in his career where he can become a very important part of the team and contribute towards the team’s success.” Lokesh Bherwani added.
Expressing his joy at the move, Harsh Patre said: “Coming back to play for FC Goa is a dream come true. As a Goan, this club means a lot to me. I’ve always wanted to represent my home team, and now that I have this opportunity, I’m determined to give it everything I’ve got.”
