The sport of football in India is slowly on the rise and it does not come as a surprise that players from Indian are finally able to make their way into some of the top European leagues this season.
India has never had a player from its origin playing in Spanish domestic league and has never been able to produce a player of that caliber.
However, all this going to change now that 18-year old Ishan Pandita finally got himself noticed at the biggest stage.
In just three years, Bangalore’s Ishan has moved from studying hard for his school tests to signings for a club that will play him against the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 18-year old chose a path that has never been taken by any other Indian so far in the history and by the looks of it, it is a fruitful route.
After three long years of toil and trouble under various British coaches, Ishan Pandita has finally landed his first professional contract at a tender age.
On Monday, the 18-year old became the first Indian to sign a professional La Liga contract with newly promoted side Club Deportivo Leganes who are currently in the 11th place in the points table.
This comes months after Ishan had a trail at another Spanish outfit in Getafe.
Speaking to the media, the 18-year old revealed that he was close to signing for Getafe but their relegation saw him wait for another opportunity that is now rewarded.
“The trials went well and the club was very interested in signing me. But sadly , they got relegated and my aim was to sign for a club in La Liga,” he said.
He has now been handed the number 50 shirt at Leganes and will start as a member of the U19 squad at the club for this season. Ishan revealed that it was one of the biggest moments in his and that he is happy to receive opportunities after all the hard work he put in.
It’s been a tough, hard three years here in Spain but at the end, it was all worth it. It feels great to be the first Indian to go down this path. Right from the moment, I decided to take a break from studies till now, I never gave up on my dream.” Ishan said.
The 18-year old had an 8-month stint at Almeria in Spain’s second division league and has gathered some great compliments from the academy director Jorge Broto Benavente
Benavente said, “What impressed us most about Ishan were his physical attributes and ability to score goals. It’s too early to say when he will break into the main team -he is a young player, a rough diamond to be worked on.”
Speaking about his experience in the La Liga so far, Ishan revealed that playing in the same league as the likes of Messi, Neymar and Suarez is a dream come true and that he is confident of his stint in Spain.
“I saw the Leganes-Barcelona game and it was a great experience. I was pretty much as close as possible. It was fantastic to see Suarez, Messi, and Neymar up close in action. It was something special,” he said.