Sunil Chhetri: Playing for the national team is the best feeling

The Blue Tigers' skipper talked about the early stages of his professional career.

“Hi, I’m Sunil Chhetri, player of Bengaluru FC and the Indian national team. Let me do it once again. Hi, I’m Sunil Chhetri, player of the Indian national team and Bengaluru FC."

On Childhood

“My mum played for the Nepal national team, father used to play for his battalion, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Corps. So, getting the sports into my system wasn’t difficult, it was natural. My professional started when I was 17, when I signed for Mohun Bagan or maybe before that when I was playing for the City Club, in Delhi. They did play me for two months."

"Getting the game into my system was as early as I can remember, I used to play a lot of different sports. Now, when I look back, I understand that it really helped with my hand-eye coordination.”

“My biggest competitor was my mum. I used to try to beat her at Chinese checkers, chess, carrom, volleyball, badminton, football, wrestling. Sometimes trying to avoid her slapping me.”

On Mohun Bagan

“I got a call from Mohun Bagan. I represented my country and that meant that even if I got a 70-odd percentage in class 12th, I might get into St. Stephen’s, which was my dream then. I got 74% in class 12th and I was like 'I have a strong chance,' but after getting the results, the fifth or sixth day, I got a call from Mohun Bagan."

"They saw me at the Durand Cup when I was playing for City Club, a local club in Delhi and they gave me a call and said, 'We want you here.' When I got the call, I thought they might want me for the SAIL Academy, which was a great break-in because when you get into a SAIL Academy at Bagan, which is a part of the club, then you’ll develop more and get a chance at bigger clubs."

"Never ever did I think that Mohun Bagan were actually calling me for Mohun Bagan. When I reached there, Subrata Bhattacharya, now my father-in-law, was my coach. He said that the main team was due to come in 10 days, main team of (Franky) Barreto, Renedy Singh and later that year, Bhaichung (Bhutia) bhai had signed. There were already a few of them there, the local ones. I joined the training and I was enjoying it. They didn’t tell me that they were taking a trial, if they had told me, I would’ve probably succumbed to the pressure. I was playing freely, as the boys were less and he wanted me to join them."

"After a week, they said 'Call your father,' because I was 17 and you can’t sign a professional contract and there were no agents then. I called my father and he came, I still had no clue. Till that day we had no clue that they were going to offer us a contract. The next day, after training, there was a match and I think I scored a brace. They called me to the room with my father and said, 'Here's a three-year contract…,' me and my father were shocked, pleasantly. We had no clue, we weren’t bothered about the money, we just thought, 'This is huge.' We signed the contract and that’s how it started and then probably my tough journey started. Because, one thing is to get a contract and the other is to be able to perform for Mohun Bagan.

"I was from Delhi, I wasn’t playing every day, I wasn’t from a formal educated background of football, I wasn’t into an academy. I was playing because I loved it. I did things which I thought were good, a lot of fancy stuff, a lot of nutmegs, a lot of criss-cross, dribbling, keeping the ball, juggling. Fancy. But, that doesn’t work in professional football. So, I had to learn it the hard way and then my hard-work started.”

On First National Team Call-Up

“It was surreal. When we had the camp, I was 50-50 on whether I was going to make the team or not. We were I think, 40 kids, 40 boys, 40 men at Phagwara national camp. Sukhwinder Singh was our coach. I think Nabi (Syed Rahim) and I were the young ones who were selected and then the 20-odd contingent went to Balochistan, Pakistan a very strange place, nice strange. We were room partners and we thought we were going to be on the bench. A day before the game, at night, Sukhi sir told us that we were going to start. I think Nabi and I folded our national team t-shirt about 20 times, sprayed some perfume on it, we were buzzing."

"I think all the happiness in your life on one side, but to play for your country, I mean the senior national team, it’s the best feeling. The next day, we played the game and we were 1-0 up. Guess what, I scored the goal and I was so thrilled, happy. I don’t know the kind of emotion. I jumped over the fence and went towards the fans. it was jam-packed and I did this (spreads his arms wide as he performs his iconic celebration). Suddenly, when I turn, there is no player of our team, nobody had come to celebrate with me."

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"I see in front of me, pindrop silence and I thought, 'Alright, turn and just walk back.' I had no clue why I did it, but it was so strange because the stadium was quiet. I came back and said, 'Thank you so much for not following me.' Then I think the last 10 minutes we conceded and it was a 1-1 draw, which spoiled the party a little bit. It would have been great if I scored and we won. But yes, that match and that goal will probably stay with me till I pass."

On Comparisons

“I never took it seriously. I had a kind of surrounding, my friends, my family, who always told me the truth and that continues till now. There was no chance that I was going to get carried away with all those. Of course, kind and amazing things that people said, there was no truth to it, there was no comparison whatsoever. Thankfully, Bhaichung bhai was in my team then and people like Bhaichung, Mahesh (Gawli), Deepak Mondal, Renedy Singh, Samir Naik, Surkumar (Singh), Climax Lawrence, they were brilliant. Everyone wanted me to score and I’m telling you, even in the national team, it’s not very often, that everyone is happy with one player scoring."

"I remember a conversation when I think I was 19 or 20, I had played five to six games for the national team. Renedy bhai and Bhaichung bhai used to take penalties. I said 'I’m going to take the penalty.' Cut to now, if a Suresh (Singh Wangjam) or Amarjit (Singh Kiyam) comes to me and tells me, first of all they will never, but if they come and tell me 'I’m going to take the penalty,' they will know my answer."

"Because a penalty is a chance of getting your team into the lead and people who take penalties have to be very sure. You have to back the best player who is going to have the maximum chance. I think I’m not going to give it to anyone, but for that time then, for Bhaichung bhai and Renedy bhai to say, 'Okay, go on, take it,' just tells you the fact that of course they probably trusted me. Also, the love they had for me, it doesn’t happen normally. I can’t think of a 19-year-old that will be allowed, that too in the national team, to go and take penalties."

"I’m just telling you the fact about how everyone wanted me to score and somewhere the 70-odd goals that I’ve scored, is because of this – since then, 2005, first time when I played against Pakistan to now, everyone in the team wants me to score. That is one of the reasons why I've scored as many goals as I’ve scored."

Sunil Chhetri, India's highest goalscorer is also second on the list for most goals scored for national teams among active players. The Indian ace has netted 72 times for the Blue Tigers and is two goals ahead of Argentine sensation Lionel Messi. The second part of Sunil Chhetri’s 'My Journey' will follow.