Punjab FC's Nihal Sudeesh on hunger for goals, national team, ISL impact & more

Nihal Sudesh eyes a national team spot after proving his worth in ISL.

Nihal Sudeesh, the 23-year-old right winger from Kochi, has attracted many eyes with his performance for Punjab FC in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25. From being a ball boy to leaving his Indian Navy job to becoming a professional footballer, the Keralite has an inspiring story.

Nihal Sudeesh shared his journey in an exclusive interview with Khel Now. He recalled his football journey, saying that in the debut season of ISL, he was a fan of Kerala Blasters FC, the only club from Kerala that played in the ISL, now recognized as the first tier of Indian professional club competition.

Father’s passion and influence shaped Nihal

The Kochi native shared his early journey in football. Nihal said, “My journey started when I was around eight or nine. My father was very interested in football. With him, I used to watch games, especially Cristiano Ronaldo’s games for Manchester United.”

Acknowledging his father, the winger said, “My father was very interested in football. He always bought me football boots, balls, and jerseys. I used to play with older brothers and friends, and that’s how I reached this current stage.”

From ball boy to professional football player

Nihal Sudesh was a die-hard fan of the Kerala Blasters FC. Reminiscing about his early days with the club, he said, “When I was 12 or 13, the ISL started. Kerala Blasters was the first club from Kerala to play in the ISL. I was a die-hard fan of them. I used to go to watch games in the first season when Iain Hume and David James played there.

“It was a dream for me, as the stadium was packed. The crowd were cheering like crazy. In the second season, I was a ball boy followed by the third,” Nihal Sudeesh added.

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The Kochi native got an opportunity to be part of the Kerala Blasters youth system and later, he represented the KBFC Reserves team in the 2019-20 I-League second division. In 2022, Nihal represented the club’s reserve team at the Reliance Foundation Development League and Next Gen Cup in the UK.

“If you ask anyone in Kerala what their dream is, they will say to play for Kerala Blasters. Everybody wants to play for this team. I was living someone else’s dream. I was so proud to play for the club.” Nihal stated.

Nihal also remembered the final of the Indian Super League 2016 edition, where Atlético de Kolkata defeated the Blasters in their home stadium in a penalty shootout after playing out a 1-1 draw. “I remember when ATK scored, they won the final in Kerala itself beating Kerala. It was a sad moment.”

Hunger for more goals

Nihal netted his first goal in the ISL against Hyderabad FC in the previous season of ISL. In the 80th minute of the final league game, Nihal Sudeesh on the right side of the box, slotted the ball right into the center of the net to beat Laxmikant Kattimani.

Remembering the first goal, Nihal Sudeesh said, “Scoring the first goal was always a dream. It was something else. You will never get that feeling anywhere. I scored my first goal last season against Hyderabad FC.

“I was waiting for the moment for a very long time. I scored, it was a dream, and to celebrate it was something else. I hope I can score more and more. I believe I can score more,” the winger added.

Learning from Kerala Blasters and loan move to Punjab FC

Nihal Sudeesh shared his learning, experience, and exposure time with Kerala Blasters. Nihal said, “Kerala Blasters FC teach us to be mentally strong, to be a better human being, to be a better person. I learned every day from Ivan Vukomanović.

“I used to watch them when I was a kid. Playing with them, asking them what and when to do it. I learned a lot from them. I improved a lot there,” Nihal Sudeesh asserted.

This year, Kerala Blasters FC confirmed a loan move for Nihal to Punjab FC. Talking about this, Nihal Sudeesh stated that the reason for this was his desire for more experience and exposure.

Expectations from ISL

Discussing his aspirations for Punjab FC in the ongoing ISL 2024-25 season, Nihal Sudeesh said his only goal is to reach the playoffs. “We are a better team than in the last season. Very good coaching staff and other managers. Hence, we believe we can do better this season than last season. We have a strong, good family here.

“We believe we can do it. We are working very hard. We have discipline, and personally, I believe we can achieve that. My aim is to play more games, gain more experience, score goals, and help my teammates with assists. When we reach the playoffs, I believe we can go further. I believe in my team,” Nihal added.

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Chasing his National Team Dream

The young right winger has been sensational this season. After his impressive performance against Kerala Blasters, he scored against Odisha FC in his second match.

In the 27th minute of the game, Nihal Sudheesh and Filip Mrzljak combined well with a neat one-two, and the Kerala winger scored a fantastic goal.

When asked about his dream of playing for the national team ‘Indian Football Team‘ Nihal said it’s difficult, and he has to prove himself. “Playing for the national team is a big dream for me. For that, I must play more games and prove what I have. I must score many goals and assist my teammates, so I must gain more experience from the league.”

“I must prove to the coach what I have. I must show my talent to India. I must work twice as hard as I am working now. With all this, I believe I can play for the national team.”

Nihal’s football idols

The Keralite winger idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo. He celebrated his maiden ISL goal with the famous ‘Siu’ celebration. “Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol. I started playing football because of him.”

Talking about domestic players, he stated, “I like Rahul KP. I watch his game many times. I find myself similar to Rahul in terms of pace and style of play, hence I watch him more.”

Speaking about Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, Nihal Sudeesh added, “Also, Chhetri bhai. How can you be an Indian and not idolize Chhetri bhai? These three guys are top for me.”

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