Five amazing facts you did not know about Glan Martins

The 26-year-old is enjoying an upward trajectory in his career.

Glan Martins has quickly become one of the most popular names in the Indian football sphere. The midfielder has quickly risen in ranks and recently made his debut for the Indian national football team against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers. Martins came into the limelight with his sensational displays for FC Goa during the AFC Champions League games earlier in April 2021.

The defensive-midfielder was languishing on the bench for ATK Mohun Bagan after signing for the club before the 2020/21 season began. A move to FC Goa earlier in February 2021 was the turning point in Martins’ career. He got the recognition and quickly became a sought-after option in the holding midfield role for both club and country.

In a short time, he has become well-known among the Indian football fans but there are a number of lesser-known facts about the player that few may know. Let's take a look on five unknown facts about Glan Martins here.

5. Martins Went to the USA for trials

Glan Martins was selected for trials in the USA during his academy days. He went to Tampa, Florida to trial for a few football clubs back when he was younger. Unfortunately, Martins could not land a professional contract in the United States. 

He recently spoke about this in an interview and said, “I was the only one to go from the academy, a great learning experience. It was really disappointing to have missed out.” 

4. Played in Goa Pro League for three consecutive seasons

One of the reasons many fans of football in India have not heard much of Martins before is due to the fact that he played in Goa Professional League. Due to contractual obligations, he was playing for Sporting Clube de Goa who withdrew from the I-League after Martins played a season for them in that competition.

The only major competition Sporting Clube de Goa played in was the GPL. He was a mainstay for the outfit in that competition. Martins patiently plied his trade for three years between 2016-2019 in the GPL. He played in the I-League again in 2019, when Churchill Brothers signed him.

3. Sesa Football Academy product

Glan Martins is a graduate of the Sesa Football Academy. The academy has come up as one of India’s most sought after football institutions in the recent past. Martins was a part of the academy when he left for trials in the United States.

He signed his first professional contract with Sporting Clube de Goa after coming back from the trials, when his stint with SESA was over. Some of the other notable players to come from Sesa Football Academy include the likes of Adil Khan, Augustine Fernandes, Rowlinson Rodrigues and Denzil Franco. 

2. His family are FC Goa fans

Glan Martins comes from a household who are avid fans of FC Goa. Therefore, when the midfielder signed for the Gaurs from ATK Mohun Bagan in the last season of the ISL, it was a moment for celebration. 

The player talked in an interview about his mother’s reaction when he gave her the news of signing for FC Goa. He said, “I called my mother straight away. I had not played that day and she was thinking I would be sad. She was surprised I was happy and then I broke the news. That was a great moment.”

1. The 199th player to represent India

Glan Martins made his debut for Indian national team in the joint 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup preliminary qualifiers in Doha, Qatar. Igor Stimac called up the midfielder after observing his solid performances in the AFC Champions League. 

Martins became the 199th player to don the national colors. He was part of the Indian squad which played against Qatar on June 3, 2021. He was one of the better performers in a close defeat against the reigning Asian champions. 

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