"Pushing myself as I want to play more" - Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Lara Sharma flying high on confidence after breakout ISL season

The clock rolled into the final quarter of the game between Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC. The Blues took the lead early in the second half and were trying to cling to it with all their might. A win would elevate their chances of making it into the Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs. Meanwhile, Odisha started growing desperate with the score stuck at 2-1.

Right at the 75th minute, Javi Hernandez, utilizing his flair on the ball, initiated a darting run towards the Bengaluru FC box. Lara Sharma, who slotted in for an unwell Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, was guarding the Blues' goal. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the 23-year-old shot-stopper narrated the emotions he went through, moments before making arguably the save of the season.

With Javi on the ball, Lara was preparing himself for a left-footed shot from the Spaniard. However, he quickly spotted Isaac Vanmalsawma's run into the box. Javi's deflected pass fell kindly for Isaac and the Juggernauts could envision a glorious opportunity to level things up. The Odisha FC midfielder eyed the top corner and dispatched a curling effort. Lara went off like Superman, but without a cape, and tipped the ball onto the post.

Bengaluru ultimately won the game and a new chapter began in the life of Lara Sharma. After years of patiently waiting in the ranks, the youngster finally had the spotlight on himself.

Lara's footballing journey started when he was 10 years old, holding the hands of his father, who was a local player in Punjab himself. The aspiring goalkeeper joined a local academy in Punjab before making his way into the esteemed Tata Football Academy. Lara underlined that it's his learnings in the TFA that has helped him grow as a footballer.

But who or what inspired Lara Sharma to become a goalkeeper?

The goalkeeper's job isn't essentially the most glamorous duty on the football field. But Lara, as a young kid, grew up training with veteran custodian Pawan Kumar, whose exploits between the sticks made the young man pick up the goalkeeping gloves.

The 2021-22 season has been a particularly memorable one for Lara Sharma. After making the switch from the ATK Reserve team to Bengaluru FC a year back, the 22-year-old had his first run in the Durand Cup 2021. Lara impressed in the tournament where the Blues were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual champions FC Goa.

However, his meteroic rise had just started. When sharing the dressing room with India's first-choice goalkeeper, you rarely expect to find a spot in the starting lineup. But as luck would have it, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu went down with illness during the second half of the Indian Super League season.

Lara was called to duty and the Punjab-born lad couldn't have been more ready. During a conversation with Sportskeeda, Lara revealed how he had been waiting for this opportunity to play in the Indian Super League for almost four years now. Sharma made his ISL debut against Chennaiyin FC where he clinched a cleansheet as Bengaluru FC rallied to a 3-0 victory. The young keeper also pulled off a remarkable save from a close-range shot to instantly impress the Blues faithful.

Gurpreet's health troubles continued and Lara made sure to make the most of the opportunity. The youngster started five games and came away with two clean sheets and 20 saves. Although Bengaluru FC failed to make it to the ISL playoffs, Lara Sharma's performances were lauded by head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli.

On that note, here are excerpts from the chat with Bengaluru FC shot-stopper Lara Sharma, who has been flying his way to glory since his performances in the Indian Super League.

---

Lara Sharma won the Hero of the Match award against SC East Bengal. (Image Courtesy: Twitter/bengalurufc)

Question: Firstly, Lara, I wanted you to talk a little about your early days in football. How did you get into the game initially?

Lara: I started football when I was 10 years old. I started playing the game because of my dad as he was a footballer himself. When I was 12, my dad took me to the local academy here in Punjab. We then went for a trial at the Tata Football Academy in 2015. So my professional journey started in 2015.

Q: Goalkeeping is not quite the most glamorous job on the football pitch. So while growing up, what got you into this and who was your goalkeeping inspiration?

Lara: In my village, I have my brother, Pawan Kumar. He was with Bengaluru FC earlier but now plays at Jamshedpur. When I was 12 years old, he used to come to our local academy and we used to train with him. So growing up, I liked to watch him. He also told me that I had a good height and could become a good goalkeeper. He was my inspiration when I was a kid.

Q: You mentioned your time in the Tata Football Academy (TFA). How did that help you grow as a footballer?

Lara: When I went to the academy, it was my first time far away from home. Staying away from family for a long time. But I started slowly to get into that atmosphere and TFA provided great facilities. Good coaches, hostels, and even grounds. Everything is there. My goalkeeping coach there was Subrata Dasgupta. He tried to improve our basics. Because of them, I learned a lot of things in my professional career.

Q: At what point in your footballing journey did you decide to play the sport professionally?

Lara: When I went to U-19 Indian Arrows camp, that time I realized the standard there was a little bit higher than what I had experienced before. I saw U-17 players training with us in the camp and also went to play in the SAFF Cup in Bhutan. At that time, I felt like I had to push myself more to get more experience and more games. I realized at the time that what I was doing wasn’t enough.

Q: Now, coming to your time at Bengaluru FC, what’s it been like at the club and especially in this 2021-22 season?

Lara: It was a good season for me. During my first year in BFC, I didn't play much. But this season I started in the Durand Cup, which was fantastic for me and for the entire team as well. And then during the pre-season for the Indian Super League, I thought this year if I got the chance, I would do everything for the team.

Right from pre-season, I was ready to perform whenever I got a chance. I didn’t want to regret it.

Q: Could you talk about your experience of playing under head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli and also the inputs from goalkeeping coach Stefan Toonen?

Lara: From the beginning, when he [Marco Pezzaiuoli] came around the time of the AFC Cup, his football ideology was very different compared to Carles Caudrat. It was a little difficult at the start. But slowly we got an idea of how he wanted us to play, the buildup, pressing, and everything. We started playing according to his plan. He is a very demanding coach who wants everybody to give their 100 percent even in training. No matter who is playing or who is not playing, he really wants every player to be at their best.

He’s great off the pitch as well. He talks to young players as well and pushes us. Goalkeeping coach Stefan Toonen also kept telling me that if I get any opportunity to play, I should be ready to make the most of it. So the coaches are very supportive.

Q: What has it been like to share a dressing room with India’s number one keeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu?

Lara: When I found out that I had an offer from BFC two years back, I was very excited to play with Gurpreet bhai. He’s the number one keeper in the country and is now the captain of the India team too. I felt really proud because we like to watch him on TV or in stadiums. I knew I would learn so many things if I trained with Gurpreet Bhai, with the experience he has. He pushed me a lot and even texted me during the Durand Cup and the ISL. He is very supportive. During the pre-season, I remember him telling me that I had a good match temperament. He said, "Whenever you get a chance, just do it.”

Q: I wanted to ask you, mentally, how difficult is it to be a reserve keeper. Because it's a position where coaches don’t make changes regularly. How do you stay ready to play whenever called upon?

Lara: Yes, it’s really difficult. Especially, when you’re inside a bio-bubble, it’s very difficult to stay well mentally. If you’re not playing it becomes even more difficult because you don’t have many people to share your thoughts with. You’re mostly in your own room. At least when you’re playing, it feels better. You have your family and friends watching you play. When you’re in the reserve, you usually go for the training then come back to the room. It’s very quiet.

As a second goalkeeper, we have to stay patient. During the pre-season I was playing every game and the seniors told me that although Gurpreet bhai is playing, I should be ready to take the chance whenever it comes. The head coach and goalkeeping coach also asked me to be patient.

Q: Now, talking about this ISL season, could you express what you felt in your debut game against Chennaiyin FC?

Lara: I found out on the morning of the matchday that I was going to start because Gurpreet bhai was having some issues with his health. The head coach broke the news during breakfast. I was excited to play because it was my first game for Benagluru FC in the ISL. But I tried to control my emotions and kept telling myself that I had to do well. For me, this was like a dream come true.

I talked to my parents as well. I told them that I'm going to play today. They were incredibly happy.

Q: How can we not talk about your fingertip save against Odisha FC that won your side the game? How did it feel? What were the emotions then?

Lara: It was amazing. The score was 2-1 then and we had to desperately win the game. We came back from a goal down and were winning. Then I think in the 75th minute, I saw Javi Hernandez get the ball and he was coming inside the box. I thought he was going to take a shot to his left but I saw Isaac also running into the box.

Then Isaac got the ball and when I saw him trying to take a shot, I tried to stay calm and not hurry. Time my jump and not go a second or two before. When I realized where the shot was going, I tried to fly and reach it. But after I touched the ball and turned quickly to see where it was going. It seemed like it would end up inside the goalpost. But when I saw the ball hit the bar and come outside, it was an amazing feeling. I think it's the best save for me.”

Q: But you didn't stop there. You had an extended run in the team due to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's health problems. What were you feeling during that time?

Lara: When I found out that I had to play all of the games for the rest of the season, I was ready. I had played my first game already and kept a clean sheet plus made a good save. I took those positives into the next matches. But unfortunately, we couldn’t make it into the playoffs. I felt bad that Gurpreet bhai had some health issues but when I found out that I was going to play I knew I had to help my team. [Sunil] Chhetri bhai told me, "Play as you played against Chennaiyin FC. Don’t worry you’re good." I kept that in mind and I took all the positive things and just kept going.

Q: In the last ISL league game, you were awarded the Hero of the Match award for your performance against SCEB. How did that feel?

Lara: By that time we knew we were out of playoff contention but we wanted to end the season on a happy note. On the morning of the game, I remember my dad telling me that "It’s your last game of the season, so go and win the Hero of the Match." I told him that’s not possible. I would have to score a goal for that to happen. He was just kidding.

But when I went into the game, I wanted to do my job and win the game for the fans. We won the game 1-0 and then I found out I had won the award. I suddenly remembered what my dad told me in the morning.

Q: You’ve shared a dressing room with Prabhsukhan Gill and he won the Golden Gloves this ISL season. What did you make of his performance this year?

Lara: From the Indian Arrows days, he has been doing very well. Even when you saw his performances in the I-League, he was individually very good. He has always been a very aggressive keeper but he has improved a lot more now.

During my time with him at Arrows, Gill used to motivate me all the time. We were friends even before our time at Indian Arrows. He texts me whenever I am playing for Bengaluru FC and we also discuss our matches.

When he got the chance at Kerala Blasters FC, I knew that he would do well and I'm very happy for him.

Q: While Gill has been brilliant this year, overall we have seen a lot of errors from goalkeepers this year. Do you feel the same? And if so, why do you think so?

Lara: It's a part of life for goalkeepers. We concede silly goals sometimes. Sometimes your season will be fantastic like it was with Sukhan and Kattimani. If we look at it over the last two or three seasons, Gurpreet bhai and Amrinder (Singh) have been doing so well. So sometimes your season goes well, sometimes it doesn’t. But I think in the coming season, everyone will work on their weaknesses and come back stronger.

Q: This season has been quite something for you. You represented Bengaluru FC in the Durand Cup and then the ISL run. What did you make of this run?

Lara: In my first season at BFC, I didn’t play much. So when I came back home, I knew I had to work more and wanted to play more. Also, seeing my family and friends cheer for me motivated me a lot more. I will take these positive things with me next season. We'll do better and I'll push myself more.

Q: You’ve shown this season that you can do well in the ISL. Now, what are your plans going forward, especially for the upcoming season?

Lara: Now, I have two or three months off but I’m working out in the gym, training hard to keep myself fit. I want to play more. It's quite simple, you know, everyone wants to play. So I’m pushing myself like I used to even five, six years back. Doing the same thing.

In the coming season, I’ll give my everything to BFC. Hopefully, the results will be better and we will get into the playoffs and even become champions.

Q: A final word for the Bengaluru FC fans....

Lara: Right from the time I started playing for the Blues in the Durand Cup, the fans used to text me before and after the games and used to appreciate my performances. Even when I started playing in the ISL, the fans showed so much respect and love. I love them.

I know the fans are disappointed because we couldn't make it into the playoffs and missed out narrowly. That happens in football sometimes. But I promise we will do well in the upcoming season and the way they support us is unbelievable.