All-Time List Of The Most Notable Indian Footballers
Careers in football, often known as soccer, are now a multi-billion dollar worldwide industry, meaning there are more careers associated with football than ever before. Professional football requires a great deal of ability, a similar degree of luck, and a tremendous amount of passion and commitment, much like other important professional sports. A sportsperson who competes for football leagues or national teams is known as a footballer and gains success with increasing soccer scores. However, there are other professions associated with football management, which creates a wealth of chances for a career in football.
With the debut of the Indian Super League, football is gaining pace and receiving national attention. It has begun a number of significant developments in Indian football. Nowadays, there are numerous possibilities for young people or newcomers to play football, and grassroots courses have been started in India. The way that Indians view football and other sports have changed with the times.
Greatest Indian footballers of all time
Keep reading to find out which of your favorite Indian footballers made our list of the finest Indian football players of all time. We looked into the history books of Indian football and will present some of the best Indian football players in history. The soccer matches today are highly watched in India too.
- PK Banerjee
In Indian football’s Golden Era, PK Banerjee, Tulsidas Balaram, and Chuni Goswami made up the holy trinity. The mysterious forward helped India become an Asian superpower after making his international football debut in 1955.
Following his participation in India’s semi-final run in the 1956 Olympics, PK Banerjee went on to lead his country at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He scored a spectacular goal in Rome that gave India a renowned 1-1 draw with France, now regarded as one of India’s best performances.
As the team’s leading scorer in the 1962 Asian Games, PK, as he was affectionately known, played a crucial role in the Indian national football team’s victory.
- Sailen Manna
The English FA designated Sailen Manna as one of the 10 Best Captains in the World, making him the only football player from India to get this honor. At the height of his abilities, he got this honor in 1953. In 1940, Manna began his playing career for Howrah Union, a team in the Kolkata Football League’s 2nd Division at the time. He played for the team for a few seasons before joining Mohun Bagan in 1942.
He stayed with the club for 19 years, until his retirement in 1960. His anticipation, covering, and powerful free-kick are all hallmarks of his profile. India won the Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 1951 when Manna served as captain. From 1952 to 1956, India also won the Quadrangular Tournament four times in a row. He was ranked among the top 10 captains in the world by the England Football Association in its 1953 yearbook. He received the Padmashree in 1971 from for his remarkable statistics.
3. Sunil Chhetri
In the Indian Super League, Sunil Chhetri represents Bengaluru FC as a professional football player. He has participated in and served as captain of the Indian national squad. With 51 goals under his belt, he holds the record for most goals scored in India.
Before joining Mohun Bagan in 1999, where he lasted two seasons and made just six appearances without scoring, Chhetri began his playing career at Tata Football Academy. He next relocated to East Bengal, where between 2002 and 2007 he was a consistent starter for them, making over 150 games and tallying over 60 goals.
He participated in a Charlton Athletic trial in 2008. He was not offered a contract, however, and left them to sign for Sporting Clube de Portugal on a free transfer. Due to injury issues, he did not play for Sporting before returning home and signing with East Bengal once more, this time as captain, until 2011, when he joined the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Chhetri, however, spent the majority of his time on loan with the Danish club Lyngby BK, where he scored 16 goals in 20 games, before returning home once again when the KC Wizards were disbanded as a result of American football fans’ lack of interest in MLS games.
- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
The adept defender represented his nation in the Asian and Olympic games while playing for Mohun Bagan in India.
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu competes for Bengaluru in the ISL. Additionally, he has played 50 times for his nation (at time of writing).
Sandhu, who played for the Norwegian team Stabaek, became the sixth Indian to play professionally in Europe. Sandhu became the first Indian to play in the UEFA Europa League while he was at this club.
- Subrata Paul
Subrata Paul is a goalkeeper for the Indian club ATK and the Indian national team. He has competed for India at the SAFF Championship, AFC Challenge Cup, AFC Asian Cup, and the FIFA World Cup 2014.
Paul began his professional career in 2005 with East Bengal FC. On December 9, 2005, in Kolkata, he made his IFA Shield debut against Mohammedan Sporting Club. When Mohun Bagan A.C. won promotion back to the I-League in 2008 through victory in the Federation Cup, he then joined them and was elected captain of their team before the start of their inaugural season at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
- Bhaichung Bhutia
Bhaichung Bhutia, the country’s first footballing celebrity, is considered as a symbol of the growth of the game in India. I.M. Vijayan, another legend, once referred to him as “God’s gift to Indian football.” The 45-year-old made 37 games for FC Bury over the course of three years, becoming the first Indian footballer to sign with a European team.
- Renedy Singh
The illustrious striker also had time with Perak F.A. and Selangor MK Land, two clubs from Malaysia. Renedy Singh was a stalwart of all the clubs he played for during his career and is widely regarded as the finest dead-ball specialist in Indian football history.
In 2015, the 42-year-old transferred from Kerala Blasters to CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian First League on loan, however, he didn’t play any games for the squad because they were having severe financial issues at the time.
Conclusion
Despite being a cricket-loving country, football is currently gaining popularity in the sub-continent thanks to youthful supporters. India has not fared well on the world scene, but things have begun to change since the introduction of the Indian Super League, the nation’s top football competition featuring some of the most well-known Indian football players.
Legendary footballers and remarkable skills may be found in India. Here is a list of all-time Indian football greats and their illustrious careers with the Indian National team.
