Gurpreet makes India Proud: First Indian to Captain a European top division club
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:12 AM
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has created history! Yes, Sandhu has become the First Indian Footballer ever to lead a European Top Division Club.
It is a big boost for Indian football to have such a talented goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who is the first player from the country to be chosen as the captain of a top division club in Europe, reports SportsCafe.
Gurpreet tweeted the following after the news was confirmed:
Proud to become the first Indian to captain a European team, it’s not about awards it’s about achievements. #LeavingNoStoneUnturned
— Gurpreet Singh (@GurpreetGK) April 26, 2016
24-year old Gurpreet, plays in the goal for the Norwegian Tippeligaen club Stabaek. He has made over 100 appearances for the ‘Laal-Holud’s – East Bengal, from 2010 to 2014, before his move to the Norwegian club Stabek FC for a trial. Before his spell at East Bengal, Gurpreet was also sent on a year-long loan at Pailan Arrows. And soon his impressive performances earned him a contract at the Norwegian club, which he signed in August 2014.
After Mohammed Salim, Baichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri and Subrata Paul, Gurpreet Singh is India’s fifth player to play professionally in a European club.
Gurpreet celebrated his first day as a captain with a clean-sheet in a 2-0 victory over Senja. The Indian international said to the TOI after the win, that he’s now ready for the first team call-up, he added:
“I am glad the management showed faith in me. I led a bunch of mostly under-20 boys and we played well on the night. Keeping a clean sheet always feels nice. I just want to keep doing the right things and hope for the best. As I have said before, I am ready for a first team call-up,”
After Stabæk finished third in the Norwegian League, Gurpreet will also look to make his Europa League qualifiers debut, as they will now need to go through the qualifier rounds to enter the main fixtures of the competition.