Indian youngster Dhruvmil Pandya to train at Crystal Palace for a year

Dhruvmil Pandya will train with Crystal Palace for a year

NEW DELHI: 15-year-old Dhruvmil Pandya from Mumbai made history when he was selected to train with the Crystal Palace Academy for a year. He even represented the Crystal Palace Academy in a friendly match against Millwall FC.

Pandya was selected from among 350 teenagers who competed at one of the club’s initiatives – ‘Play for Palace,’ a partnership between the Crystal Palace and Hero Indian Super League Team Mumbai City FC which was agreed upon last year.

Pandya had also a short stint with the AIFF Regional Academies having earlier trained with the AIFF Regional Academy in Navi Mumbai and had also trained with the AIFF Regional Academy in Goa prior to proceeding to Crystal Palace for the trials.

It has been learnt that the south London Club will pay for his education and training. As there isn’t a residential academy, Pandya will be staying in London with a family member.

The English Premier League is perhaps the most popular of all European leagues in India and this development is being branded as the beginning with many other youngsters expected to follow in the future.

Among others, two Indian senior players, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and winger Romeo Fernandes recently made their debuts recently for Norwegian Club Stabek and Brasilian giants Atletico Paranaense respectively.

Pandya was chosen the winner by a panel of judges which included former Palace loyalist Mark Bright and former England International Robbie Fowler.