Subrata Paul: If Buffon can play at that age, I can too

The 33-year-old spoke about his early days in the Indian football and ambitions going forward.

It has been a topsy-turvy journey throughout for Subrata Paul as Indian national team custodian. The veteran has faced several on and off-field issues, but has braved every storm to serve the Blue Tigers for 12 years.

He has been India's saviour on numerous occasions in the past, but his heroics at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup are still vivid for most of the Indian football fans. Although, the Indian team could not perform at the same level, Paul showed determination and grit to keep teams like South Korea and Australia at bay. His consistent performances in the group stage was rewarded with the nickname of 'Spiderman' mainly due to his goalkeeping exploits. Reminiscing about the tournament and the time he was given the tag, Paul credits his whole team for all his achievements.

"I think the title of 'Spiderman' is not only for me. It is a proud moment for me, but it is because of the efforts of the whole team. We showed the character to fight in every match. In the 2011 Asian Cup our group was very tough, the group of death with Australia, South Korea and Bahrain. We played the three matches and the international media called me as 'Spiderman."

The Hyderabad FC man has been playing for quite a while now and he has seen how goalkeepers have evolved over the years. But, Paul feels other than improvement in distribution, goalkeeping as a whole is more or less the same.

"When I started football in the late 90s, at that time goalkeepers were only shot-stoppers and now also we are doing the same thing that is to save the ball. The only difference now is that goalkeepers are very good with their feet. There were a lot of legendary Indian goalkeepers from the past, starting from Peter Thangaraj to Bhaskar Ganguly, but the game has changed since then. The backpass rule meant that goalkeepers had to be good with their feet," the 33-year old opined. He tagged Gianluigi Buffon's adaptation to the modern style of play over the decades as an example for young custodians.

It has not always smooth sailing for the former Mohun Bagan goalkeeper, as he was part of a huge accident early in his career. It was in the 2004 Federation Cup final when Mohun Bagan faced Dempo. Chasing a 50-50 ball, Paul had a collision with Dempo's Brazilian forward Cristiano Júnior. The incident was so horrific that the striker was rushed to hospital and was declared dead upon arrival. Paul had to face the brunt of the tragedy and was suspended by FIFA for three months. However, after an investigation, FIFA gave him a clean-chit and he came back onto the field.

ALSO READ: What Pritam Kotal revealed about ‘rockstar’ Subrata Paul

"I joined Mohun Bagan very early in my career and then that incident happened. That time was the most difficult for me and I had only my family and a few well-wishers around me who supported me. But, in bad times I have seen people change. Normally, they are very loving, but at that point they started doubting me."

"I went into depression. I did not know what to do. I could not train, I could not go out of my house as people were treating me as guilty. I was suspended for more than three months. But, I started following Swami Vivekananda, read a lot of his books and slowly I recovered.

"My football and my life have taught me lessons that no university or school can teach you. During my bad times, I came to know my best friends. I don't have any enemies, I don't hold grudges against anyone," quipped a very emotional Paul.

Despite his age and the rise of a very talented bunch of goalkeepers in the country, Subrata Paul is still motivated to serve the national team in the coming years. He holds Gianluigi Buffon as his idol and gains motivation from his illustrious career. The veteran custodian believes that he can still give a lot to the Blue Tigers and wants to knock on Igor Stimac's door with consistent performances.

"I have served my country for the last 12 years. I feel I have a lot to give the country. If (Gianluigi) Buffon) can play at that age, I can. I have time and I have belief in myself that I can play. That is my motivation so far and the day I feel that I have nothing more to give to Indian football, that day I will pack my bags and retire," concluded Subrata Paul.