Bipin Singh Thounaojam

Bipin Singh Thounaojam (Meitei: Thounaojam Bipin Singh, born 10 March 1995) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club East Bengal and the India national team.

At the age of 13, Bipin joined one of Manipur's most famous youth clubs called Wafa Wangoi Club where he stayed for three years. He then moved on to Manipur Police Sports Club where he further honed his skills.

After years of consistent displays, a 17-year-old Bipin found his way the senior setup of Shillong Lajong for the 2012–13 I-League season. He made his professional debut for Shillong Lajong in the I-League on 22 December 2012 against ONGC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium when he came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Gbeneme Friday as Shillong Lajong lost the match 3–0. For the first three seasons, he mostly came on as a substitute to replace tired legs or for a change of tactics. He only became a first teamer for the club from the 2015–16 I-League under the stewardship of head coach Thangboi Singto. It took him over 4 years to score his first professional goal of his career and the club, against Chennai City on 19 February 2017, when he curled a sublime effort into the top corner, giving the opposition goalkeeper absolutely no chance to save it. He made 38 appearances for the club in the I-League, scoring a solitary goal in the process.

Bipin was picked up by the erstwhile ATK during the player draft ahead of the 2017–18 Indian Super League season. He made his debut for the club on 17 November 2017, when he came on as a 74th-minute substitute against Kerala Blasters in a match which finished 0-0. He scored his first goal for the club in only his second appearance, when he curled in a brilliant free-kick which kissed the crossbar and went in. Though Bipin's goal was a mere consolation as ATK lost 4–1 to Pune City. He finished the season with 2 ISL goals in 12 appearances. He showed flashes of brilliance and an impressive work rate.

On 1 August 2018, the Islanders completed the signing of Bipin on a two-year contract. He made his debut for the club against Jamshedpur on 2 October 2018, which ended in a 2–0 loss. Bipin was used as a reserve player by then-Mumbai head coach Jorge Costa, only making seven appearances throughout the season, with five of those seven being off the bench.

Bipin made his first appearance of the 2019-20 season away against Chennaiyin FC in a 0-0 draw. He scored his first goal for the club at home against Odisha FC, scoring the last goal of the match in an eventual 4-2 loss, with his cross going into the goal after a touch from goalkeeper Francisco Dorronsoro. The goal was credited to Bipin, rather than going down as an own goal. He scored his second goal of the season on 12 February 2020 against Goa in a 5–2 loss. This season, though, Bipin was afforded more playing time, making four starts out of a total of 15 appearances.

It wasn't until the 2020–21 Indian Super League, with Spaniard Sergio Lobera in charge of the club, that Bipin finally came alive. He made his first appearance of the season away against FC Goa, coming off the bench in a 1-0 win for The Islanders. He scored his first goal of the season away against Bengaluru FC, scoring Mumbai's second goal in an eventual 3-1 win for the club.

Throughout the season, Bipin scored six goals, including a hat-trick against Odisha on the penultimate date of the 2020–21 Indian Super League regular season. This hat-trick was also the first hat-trick of the season. In the playoffs, Bipin went on to score a dream match winning goal in the 2021 Indian Super League final against ATK Mohun Bagan, as the Islanders won the Indian Super League Winners Shield and the League title for the first time. This was also the first time, and till date the only time, a club has won both trophies in a single season.