"I was 11 or 12 but I saw the situation when I was at home" - Chennaiyin FC's Devansh Dabas outlines his long and hard journey to get to the ISL

Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Devansh Dabas has undoubtedly had to work hard to earn his stripes. The 20-year-old's football journey began in his village in Uttar Pradesh and continues to grow as he gears up for his second season in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Dabas has had to undergo it all to get to where he is now. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, he revealed that he has always been interested in pursuing sports as a career:

"Back when I was a kid, I just used to play any game. I didn't have too much interest in studies so I just used to play in my village. People back home used to push me to study but I wasn't interested in it. They used to ask me, 'What do you want to do?' And I said, 'I just want to play'."

The Chennaiyin FC custodian's entry into football came just before he reached his teenage years, courtesy of some sacrifice from his parents. Dabas continued:

"There was a CBSE school in my village and I asked my parents to send me there but it was expensive and they weren't sure if we could afford it. But somehow I joined the school. This was when I was 11 or 12 but I saw the situation when I was at home."

He added that he was a complete novice to football when he joined the school, stating:

"First day when I went in, I didn't know football, I didn't know [Cristiano] Ronaldo or [Lionel] Messi, nothing. I only knew cricket and some volleyball. I thought there would be cricket at the school and I went there, but there was only football."

Devansh Dabas' coach in school was Rohin Kumar, who pushed him to start playing football as a goalkeeper. However, Dabas didn't enjoy playing in the position initially. He said:

"The coach there, Rohin Kumar, asked me if I want to play and I said, 'I'll try'. We started practice and the coach said, 'You try to goalkeep'. I didn't really like to keep at that time because everyone was running with the ball, I was just standing and then I would go back home."

---

"Everybody was asking me, 'What are you doing?'" - Chennaiyin FC's Devansh Dabas on waiting for opportunities

Despite his initial reservations about the position, Devansh Dabas put in plenty of hard work to improve and make the No. 1 position for his school his own. Following his exploits there, he attended trials for an academy in Mahilpur in the state of Punjab.

The Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper said about the same:

"When I was 15, I gave trials in an academy in Mahilpur, Punjab. This was where my journey started. I practiced there for 3-4 months. One of the coaches was really good. He taught me the basics of goalkeeping."

Following his spell there, Dabas tried to join the Chandigarh Football Academy. However, his first trial didn't go to plan and he was asked to wait another year for a second chance. The youngster continued:

"I then gave trials at Chandigarh Football Academy and I got selected there. But in the first year, the coach asked me to go home and come back again for the medical. I waited for a year at home."

There was understandable concern from all corners when Devansh Dabas returned home and stayed for a year. He recounted how many people questioned if he was going down the right path, but his patience ultimately yielded results:

"My parents, neighbours, everyone was asking me, 'What are you doing in life? You're back home, you're doing nothing, not practicing also'. But I waited one year and gave the trials again and this time, I got selected after the medical."

---

---

During his three-year stint in Chandigarh, Dabas played in a friendly against Minerva Academy FC and the match boosted his upward career trajectory.

"We played a friendly match against Minerva Academy," he said. "I put in a good performance and they wanted me to join them. They said they'll give me chances in the (U15) I-League. I didn't know what the I-League was; I just wanted to play."

Unfortunately, the Chennaiyin FC custodian was unable to play in the first two rounds of the U15 I-League. However, he made a solid impression when his opportunity arrived. Dabas stated:

"At the time, Ranjit sir from Minerva just told me, 'You come to learn'. I couldn't play the first two rounds of the U15 I-League but I went for the final round in Goa and we became champions for the first time."

Devansh Dabas and Minerva followed that up by winning the U18 I-League. The youngster also got to attend India's U19 camp, making a couple of appearances in the AFC U-19 Championships (now the AFC U-20 Asian Cup).

---

Very grateful to be here: Devansh Dabas on joining Chennaiyin FC

Following Roundglass' takeover of Minerva Punjab, Dabas spent a season with the club. He then turned out for Lonestar Kashmir FC before joining Chennaiyin FC last summer. The goalkeeper recalled:

"I spent one season with Roundglass and I went back home after it ended. Then I played 6-7 matches in the second division in Kashmir and after that Chennaiyin FC called me. I'm very grateful to be here and to them for giving me a chance."

Having made it into the ISL after a long and arduous journey, Devansh Dabas is yet to make his senior Chennaiyin FC debut. The youngster could be seen in action when the Marina Machans compete in the 2022 Durand Cup next month.