Forgotten Trendsetters: The first Indian footballers to play abroad

Gurpreet Singh’s recent transfer to Stabaek has caught the eye

With Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s signing for Norwgian Tippeligaen side Stabaek, he joins the recent beeline of Indian footballers getting a chance in foreign leagues. Just a few months before the lanky goalkeeper signed the dotted line, India’s Spiderman Subrata Paul, signed for FC Vestsjælland (FC Viking) of the Danish Superliga. We have not forgotten the Indian skipper Sunil Chetri’s stints with Kansas City Wizards of MLS and Sporting Lisbon’s reserve team.

The Pioneers

However, most of the Indian football fans look upon Bhaichung Bhutia as the pioneer in making it to a foreign league, playing for English League One side Bury FC in 1999. The more aware ones will point out that not Bhutia but Mohammed Salim was the first one to reach foreign shores and play for the famous Scottish side Celtic FC. Interestingly, even they are not exactly right!

According to the football historians, the first Indian footballer to play for a foreign club was Jnanendra Krishna Deb, who had a successful career in USA playing for perhaps the oldest North American athletic club – Olympic. Very little has been written about Indian football history and no wonder we don’t have much information about these two path-breaking footballers. Thus, we intend to present what little information we have gathered about the earliest trendsetters.

Jnanendra Krishna Deb

A well-known left-out with the inspiring Mohun Bagan side (post 1911), Jnanendra Krishna (J.K) Deb received an offer to play in the U.S. Despite his reservations against travelling overseas, he showed the courage to cross the seven seas and sign for the Olympic Club.

It was 1918 when historians confirmed he had a successful spell there. An edition of the ‘Englishman’ newspaper (later absorbed by the Statesman) in 1918 published an article on Deb and praised his performances for Olympic Club. The Sanfranisco Bulletin also published an article on his football prowess during this time.

A few months ago, Mohun Bagan Gorbo, a fan club of the oldest club of Asia, sent a mail to the Olympic Club and the club confirmed Deb’s joining their club in 1918 and playing successfully thereafter.

Mohammed Salim

Luckily, information on another footballing wizard from Calcutta has been found a little more than Deb. Salim was an integral part of the famous Mohammedan Sporting team, which won the Calcutta Football League five times during the 1930s. Salim, on the insistence of a relative called Hasheem who lived in England, left Calcutta and landed at the trials of Celtic FC in Glasgow. Like most of the Indian footballers of that time, he played bare-foot.

On Hasheem’s requests, the Celtic manager Willie Maley agreed. What followed was history. The Celtic think tank was highly impressed and gave him a chance to play in the upcoming friendlies. Soon, Salim started playing for Celtic in the Scottish League and dazzled with his skills. However, he soon felt home sick and decided to go back. Celtic FC was so desperate to keep him that he was offered a huge amount. Salim was adamant to return and he came back and rejoined Mohammedan in 1937.

Apart from these rare examples, over the years, other Indian footballers did get offers from clubs abroad. For example, the Mohun Baan legend, Chuni Goswami was offered a chance at a Brazilian club when he showed his skills in the Merdeca Cup in Malaysia. However, lack of foresight and international exposure has restricted the Indian players options. In the process, Indian football has suffered. Well, better late than never and the recent signings are showing the way.