Jestin George

Jestin George

Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-02-07) 7 February 1998 (age 25)
Place of birth	Kottayam, Kerala, India
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
–2017	Bengaluru B
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2021	Gokulam Kerala	13	(1)
2021–2023	NorthEast United	5	(0)
2022–2023	→ Real Kashmir (loan)	21	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:22, 30 August 2023 (UTC)

Jestin George (born 7 February 1998) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender.

Career

After completing his formal education in 2015, Jestin attended trials at Bengaluru FC and got selected in their U-18 team. However, after playing with them for two years, he had to return to his home state as they decided not to retain him any longer. At about the same time, Gokulam Kerala was founded, they signed Jestin to their reserves team immediately.

He got selected to represent Kerala in the 2017-18 Santosh Trophy. Jestin George was part of the team’s defence that conceded only three goals throughout the tournament. He also played an important role in the final, assisting Vibin Thomas’ goal in the match that Kerala won on penalties after the score at the end of regulation time read 2-2.

Following his success in the 2017-18 Santosh Trophy, he returned to Gokulam’s reserves team. By then the 2017-18 I-League season was over and the club had appointed Fernando Santiago Varela as their new head coach. Varela’s first assignment was to lead the team to the 2017-18 Kerala Premier League (KPL), and Jestin George was named in the senior squad for the first time.

The 2017-18 KPL also proved to be a success story for both the player and the club, as they topped Group B with seven wins from eight matches. They went on to win the semi-finals against Sports Academy Tirur to reach the finals, where they beat Quartz FC to lift the title. Jestin’s performances in the back did not go unnoticed, as he found himself in the first-team squad more often in the 2018-19 season. He made his I-League debut in a 3-1 defeat against Churchill Brothers on January 10, 2019, as he played only 40 minutes. ^[1]

NorthEast United FC

On 16 September 2021, it was announced that Jestin was signed by NorthEast United on a three-year deal. ^[2] He made his debut for the club on 20 November against Bengaluru FC in a 4–2 loss. ^{[3] [4]}

Career statistics

Club

As of 6 April 2023 ^[5]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Gokulam Kerala	2018–19	I-League	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	2019–20		9	0	4 [lower-alpha 1]	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	14	0
	2020–21		3	1	3 [lower-alpha 3]	0	—		6	1
	Gokulam Kerala total		13	1	7	0	1	0	21	1
NorthEast United	2021–22	Indian Super League	5	0	0	0	—		5	0
Real Kashmir (loan)	2022–23	I-League	21	3	1 [lower-alpha 4]	0	—		22	3
Career total			39	4	8	0	1	0	48	4

1. Appearance(s) in Durand Cup
2. Appearance(s) in Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup
3. Appearance(s) in IFA Shield
4. Appearance(s) in Super Cup

Honours

Gokulam Kerala

• Durand Cup: 2019 ^[6]

References

1. "Scouting Report- Jestin George: Who is Gokulam Kerala's rising defender?". Khel Now.
2. "Young Jestin George is now a Highlander". Twitter (NorthEast United). 16 September 2021.
3. "ISL 2021–22 Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United HIGHLIGHTS: BFC beats NEUFC 4–2". The Hindu . 20 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
4. "ISL 2021–22: Bengaluru FC record classic 4–2 win against NorthEast United". Outlook. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
5. Jestin George at Soccerway
6. "Durand Cup: Gokulam Kerala beats Mohun Bagan 2-1 to win title". Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.