Football is a global sport. Despite India not being one of the big hitters in the world of football, there is no dearth of enthusiasm for football among Indians. From Neil Taylor to Michael Chopra, we have witnessed players of Indian lineage strutting their stuff in foreign football fields.
Here, we list down five of the less well-known footballers of Indian origin to play in leagues across the world. From the lower tiers of English football to New Zealand’s Premiership, players of Indian origin have tried to blaze a trail for future generations of the nation, though their efforts remain largely obscure.
#1 Malvind Benning
Malvind Singh Benning plays for English League Two outfit Mansfield Town. The 23-year-old left-back is a regular at Steve Evans’s Stags and has played 40 games this season for his side, scoring one goal and providing four assists. He played a key role in Mansfield’s run to the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy this season, missing only one match.
Benning started his career at Walsall, coming through their youth ranks before moving on loan to York City in January 2015. He bagged Walsall’s Young Player of the Year award in 2014 but was released in May of the following year. Following that, Benning moved to Mansfield and has since made 80 appearances for his current club.
#2 Luther Singh
Luther Singh is another player whose family tree can be traced back to India. The South African youngster is a versatile forward who has attracted the interest of Spanish giants Real Madrid in his short career so far. He started his career at the Stars of Africa academy and quickly made big strides in his career by playing at Swedish club GAIS Goteborg and then moving to Portugal with Braga amid interest from Real Madrid’s ‘B’ side.
Singh, 19, currently plays for Portuguese club Braga B and recently made his senior South Africa debut. He is blessed with goalscoring prowess that has seen him pocket Golden Boot gongs at two different age group tournaments: the 2016 COSAFA Under-20 Championships and the 2017 Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations.
#3 Karanveer Grewal
Karanveer Singh Grewal was born in Lamba, Gujarat and currently plays for the Norwegian third tier club, Asker. The 23-year-old plays as a right-back for his side, whom he joined on loan from Mjondalen in January this year. He left Stromgodset for Mjondalen in February 2013 but made only 40 appearances for them in a spell of four years dotted with a move to Asker, whom he joined on a free transfer this year.
Although primarily a right-back, Grewal can also play as a left-back and on the right-hand side of midfield. The former Norway Under-19s international was a team-mate of Real Madrid's on-loan prospect Martin Ødegaard at Stromgodset in his formative years.
#4 Sarpreet Singh
18-year-old Sarpreet is the youngest player on this list. He plays in the New Zealand Premiership for Wellington Phoenix Reserves and has also jumped ranks to represent Wellington Phoenix in two A-League matches. His two appearances in Australia’s top flight came were from the bench against Melbourne City and Newcastle United Jets, playing less than half an hour each time.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Sarpreet has scored three goals and laid on a further three in the New Zealand Premiership this season. He is a New Zealand Under-20s international and has also represented the country’s Under-17 team in the past. He is among New Zealand's most promising prospects, judging by his tally of four goals and nine assists in just 26 games for Wellington Phoenix Reserves.
#5 Amardeep Singh
The 26-year-old plies his trade in Belgian football, playing for lower tier side Tienen. Amardeep is primarily a central midfielder but can also play as a defensive midfielder and a defender. Born in Leamington Spa in England, Amardeep rose through the ranks at Tienen before playing for the club’s senior side. Although he holds an English passport, Amardeep has spent his entire career at Tienen.
In his nine seasons at the club, he has scored 21 goals in 171 appearances. His most prolific season was 2013/14, in which he scored six goals in 30 appearances. Despite playing a deeper role in midfield or as a defender, Amardeep’s goal record is commendable. He has found the net every season since 2011/12, strengthening his place as one of the key members of the Tienen side.
