FC Pune City have signed English footballer and former Arsenal and Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant as a replacement to injured Colombian Omar Andres Rodrigues Martinez. Omar Rodrigues will not play the rest of the Hero Indian Super League season due to a kidney complaint.

Jermaine Pennant joined Arsenal in 1999, at the age of 15 years, from his first club Notts County and remained there until 2005. In 2006, he moved to Liverpool on a four year contract, and played over 50 times for them. He was instrumental in Liverpool's run to the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, where he was one of the stand-out performers. During his career he also played for Premier League sides Stoke City, Birmingham City and Portsmouth, and also played in Spain's La Liga for Real Zaragoza. Though never capped as a full England international, he played for the England under-21 team more than 20 times.