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In this Telugu name, the name Neelam is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Ritesh.

Neelam Ritesh (born 15 July 2007), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker or a winger for Singapore Football COE U-17 team Albirex Niigata Singapore.

Ritesh's footballing career started when he joined Lion City Sailors' developmental academy before making the jump to Barca Academy. In 2023, he would become a member of Albirex Niigata Singapore's U17 COE squad for that season.

Aside from professional football, Ritesh plays for various Sunday league clubs in Singapore but notably stars for Serangoon based club Serangoon Belgrade.

Early life
Ritesh was born in South India and moved to Singapore when he was three-years-old. He enrolled into Serangoon Secondary School in 2020 and was part of their football team. Serangoon Secondary School is known for being home to Singapore internationals such as Zaiful Nizam and Khairul Nizam.

Ritesh's focus on football wasn't his main priority until 2021 when National School Games in Singapore resumed as per normal. He played a big role in helping his school to a third placed finish in their league at Tampines SAFRA. He ended his Secondary School career with the number 10 shirt.

Club career
Ritesh signed up for Lion City Sailors' developmental academy from 2021 to 2022 before making a switch to Barca Academy Singapore for four months. He would then begin his professional journey after passing Albirex Niigata Singapore's COE U-17 trials and ultimately became a squad member. He was given the jersey number 17.

Albirex Niigata
Due to impressive performances during pre-season, Ritesh got the green light as an Albirex player but his career would be hampered by limited game time. His first start would come on 17 July 2023 in a league match against Tampines Rovers as he started the match up top but would only have one chance on goal. Unfortunately, Ritesh would be substitued out at half time following an ankle injury he sustained in the match. This would be his last game of the season as O-Level ended his season prematurely.

Style of play
Ritesh has been described as a quick and nifty player due to his dominance on either the left or right side of the wings. He boasts quick feet in acceleration and dribbling often performing elasticos and step overs in his game. Whenever he plays on either flanks, Ritesh operates as an inverted winger allowing him to cut inside onto his strong foot for a strong finish. His role as an inverted winger highlights his usage of pace and dribbling ability due to his need to beat defenders for space.

Ritesh can also operate as a striker but dabbles in a playmaker role due to his knack for dropping deep to provide space and attacking outlets for his teammates. Ritesh cited hard work his current play style, having worked with ankle weights for lighter feet to improve his overall game.

Personal life
Ritesh is a fan of Premier League club Manchester United and looks up to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ritesh often plays for Sunday league club Serangoon Belgrade, a social club founded by students in Serangoon Secondary School. He is currently the all-time top scorer.