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The senior Indian football team recently qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after their 4-1 thumping over Macau in the qualifiers. This will be the fourth time the 'Blue Tigers' will participate in the elite competition. It was in 2011 when the Climax Lawrence-led Indian team featured in the tournament the last time. It was a very painful outing for them as they crashed out in the group stages itself by virtue of heavy defeats against Australia, South Korea and Bahrain. Only one of the 11 players who started in those games is still playing for the National Team.
Let us have a look whether the fab 11 are playing (or retired) in the present day:
#11 Subrata Pal
Subrata Paul is the first Indian goalkeeper to sign for a foreign club, when he was roped in by Danish side FC Vestsjaelland in 2014. Unfortunately, he never made a start in the main team and soon made the long flight back to India.
He came into prominence during his Mohun Bagan days and got a break in 2007 when he was included in the National side for the first time. Since then, he was a mainstay at the bars for the ‘Blue Tigers.’
After playing for as many as 10 Indian clubs since 2014, he has finally settled in Jamshedpur FC and will feature in this years' Indian Super League. Hailed as one of the best goalkeepers in Asia during his playing days, Pal's service to Indian football is comparable only to few others from the country.
#10 Surkumar Singh
Hailing from Manipur, Surkumar Singh caught the eye of everyone when he played for the Manipur U-16 team and was eventually roped in by Tata Football Academy where he spent 4 years. He made his International debut during India’s historic win against the UAE in 2001, which was a World Cup Qualifier.
He played a crucial role in East Bengal’s maiden National League triumph under coach Syed Nayemuddin, who turned him into right back from the initial central back position. In 2003, he was part of the successful East Bengal squad which won the prestigious ASEAN Cup, along with the National League and the Kolkata Football League.
Since 2014, he has been a part of Sikkim United FC since 2014 and will feature in the I-Leagued 2nd division in the upcoming season. Surkumar’s senior International career lasted 10 years in which he played 52 matches scoring two goals.
#9 Gouramangi Singh
One of the most reliable center backs the country has ever produced, Gouramangi Singh enjoyed an illustrious career throughout, winning almost every possible trophy in the domestic circuit and also many at the International level as well. Hailing from Imphal, the footballer came into limelight after leading the winning Indian Under-18 at the Ian Rush trophy in 2003. After representing India in various age-group tournaments, he finally made his International debut in 2006.
The Manipuri played for major clubs like Dempo, Mahindra United, Sporting Clube de Goa, and Churchill Brothers, winning a National League and Federation Cup each with Dempo and Mahindra United. Gouramangi was once India’s highest paid footballers earning rupees 1 crore during his stay at Churchill Brothers for the 2012-13 I-League season.
After playing two seasons in the Indian Super League, Gourmangi will be representing debutants NEROCA in the upcoming I-League starting later this year.
#8 Anwar Ali
Anwar Ali played for Punjab Police after getting a call following his performance in the 2004 Santosh Trophy where he inspired his side to the finals of the tournament. The following year, he was recruited by JCT Mills Phagwara and was a regular for the next 4 years.
During this phase, he became very popular and was a great help to the club as they finished as runners-up in the 2006-07 edition of the National League. The Anwar Ali-Gourmangi Singh combination did wonders at the heart of the Indian defence line as they successfully retained the 2009 and also won the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup which was the stepping stone towards the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
After playing for major clubs like Dempo, Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC and ISL giants Mumbai City FC, Ali signed East Bengal, in 2016. His services will be more than useful for the Red and Gold brigade in the upcoming season.
#7 Deepak Mondal
A product of the Tata Football Academy, Deepak Mondal is probably the most well-known right-backs during the post-2000 era. An Arjuna Awardee, the Jharkhand based player started playing football form a very young age.
He played 5 years each with two of India’s biggest clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Deepak began his professional career with JCT Mills Phagwara, played for a couple of years and then shifted his loyalties to East Bengal. It was during his East Bengal days that made him into a superstar overnight. The defender player played an influential role in the ASEAN Cup win for the red and gold brigade.
Along with Mahesh Gawli, he formed a formidable backline which flourished both at domestic and International level. Following the 2011 Asian Cup, he played for Kolkata outfit Prayag United and returned to East Bengal for a year before representing Mumbai City FC in the glamorous Indian Super League.
With a 47-match International career under his belt, Deepak will be adding the much-needed experience to his current club Ozone FC in the upcoming I-League 2017-18.
#6 Climax Lawrence (C)
Spotted by current Indian coach Stephen Constantine in 2002, Climax Lawrence was a regular in the senior for more than 7 years. The crafty midfielder played the early part of his domestic career with Salgaocar and then moved to East Bengal and Dempo thereafter.
Having played 69 International matches, he scored twice; one was during the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup against Afghanistan in the dying minutes of the match. A vital member in Dempo’s maiden I-League winning triumph in 2007-08, Lawrence retired from International football on February 1, 2012.
He currently plays for Goa-based club Laxmi Prasad S.C which participates in the Goa Professional League.
#5 Pappachen Pradeep
Born in Kerala, N.P.Pradeep began his football career as a striker and represented his state in many age group tournaments. But when he started his professional career at SBT, he played as a midfielder and aided them to win four Kerala League titles.
His impressive displays earned him a place in the senior Indian national team during the 2005 SAFF Championships. A year later, Mahindra United roped in Pradeep, and his impact was instant as the Mumbai-based club won the National League that year. The then Indian coach Bob Houghton had an eye on the player and turned him into a left back for the 2007 Nehru Cup which India won.
He scored the all-important goal in the final against Syria as the ‘Blue Tigers’ lifted their first ever Nehru Cup. The defensive role played by Pradeep during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup was crucial, though India were shown the exit door in the opening round of the competition.
In 2016, N.P. Pradeep was announced as the official 'Player Scout' for Kerala Blasters FC.
#4 Steven Dias
Steven Dias was popularly known the Indian ‘David Beckham’ due to excellent midfield play and his ability to take advantage of dead ball situations. Making his debut for the national team in 2006, he was a mainstay for a long time with 51 national caps to his name.
One of his most memorable spells of play was during India’s successful Nehru Cup campaign, in 2007. Dias scored a brace during their match against Cambodia and played pivotal roles in other matches to help India win the title. His seven-year stint with Mahindra United was highly successful during which the team won the National Football League and also played the AFC Cup.
After the Mumbai-based club withdrew from the AIFF, he played with several clubs like Churchill Brothers, Rangdajied United, ISL giants Delhi Dynamos FC and also Bharat FC.
Since 2016, he has been part of Mumbai FC and will hopefully continue with them in the following season in the 2nd Division I-League after being relegated from the top tier last season.
#3 Syed Rahim Nabi
A stalwart of Indian football, Syed Rahim Nabi is one of the most versatile players the country has ever seen. Having made 59 appearances for the Indian National team, the Pandua-born footballer has been part of three Nehru Cup winning squad also a SAFF Championship in 2012.
He played for all the three major Kolkata clubs, namely, Mohammedan Sporting, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. Having emerged from the Tata Football Academy, Nabi started his career as a striker, then played as a midfielder and later made it to the playing XI as a side back. Apart from scoring International goals, he served as a real backbone of the Indian Football Team for several years.
Though he is not likely to play any more International matches in the future, he is still playing club football with Peerless S.C. He was awarded the AIFF Player of the Year in 2012.
#2 Mohammed Rafi
SBT was promoted to the top tier in 2004, Mohammad Rafi scored 4 goals during that campaign and drew everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, the team from Kerala got relegated that year, but he moved to Mumbai and signed for Mahindra United.
He was a part of the 2006 National Football League winning Mahindra United team and also won the IFA Shield that year and also the prestigious Durand Cup in 2008. In 2009-10, he was the best Indian striker in the I-League with 14 goals and was also honoured for being Mahindra United’s best player of the year.
In 2010, Rafi joined Churchill Brothers and scored 41 goals in 60 matches he played for the Goan outfit. In the International stage, he made his first appearance in 2009, playing 17 matches till date with a goals tally of 8.
After playing the inaugural season of the Indian Super League with Atletico de Kolkata and the next two seasons with Kerala Blasters, he will be playing for Chennayin FC in the 2017 edition.
#11 Sunil Chhetri
The only player who is still playing actively in the senior Indian football team, Sunil Chhetri is also the poster boy of Indian football after Bhaichung Bhutia. He started his professional career with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan, but his performance was not satisfactory.
Three years later, he joined Punjab based JCT and it was during this stay at the club he gained International recognition. In 2005, he scored his first International goal against Pakistan; his career took an uphill path from there on. He became a regular in the ‘Blue Tigers’ side and won many trophies which include the Nehru Cup (thrice), AFC Challenge Cup and the SAFF Championship(twice).
In 2010, he signed for MLS club Kansas City Wizards but never made a start, but he made three appearances for the reserve team of Sporting Clube de Portugal in 2012-13. After a brief spell with Churchill Brothers, he finally settled in Bengaluru FC and guided them to two I-League titles and two Federation Cup titles.
After a transfer from Mumbai City FC in 2016, the striker will be seen in action in the upcoming Indian Super League for debutants Bengaluru FC.
