Indian national team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has become the first Indian to feature in a top-tier league match in Europe, playing for the Norwegian side Stabaek FC. The 24 year old kept a clean sheet in his first Tippeligaen helping the Stabaek FC claim a dominant 5-0 triumph over IK Start in an away league match.
Even though Sandhu had signed for the club in 2014, he did not play in the Tippeligaen till Sunday. He had however, featured in five matches in the Norwegian Cup. He has until now, been playing second fiddle to Ivorian goalkeeper Sayouba Mande, Stabaek FC's first choice. "Proud to become the First Indian ever to start in a Top Division League game in Europe!!!!" tweeted an ecstatic Sandhu. "Facing @ikstart tonight before the International break kicks in, need to finish on a good note @Stabaek #Tippeligaen," he wrote.
Sandhu will directly join the national football team in Laos where India are playing their play-off match of the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 2. Bengal footballer Mohammed Salim played for Scottish top-tier side Celtic FC in 1936, but did not feature in the premier division. Records about Salim's two-month sojourn in Scotland are sketchy. After India's Independence, former captain Bhaichung Bhutia played for English third division side Bury FC in 1999-2000 and current national skipper Sunil Chhetri played for the 'B' team of Sporting Lisbon in 2012.
Stabaek FC is more than 100 years old and won the league in 2008. They will feature in the Europa League next season. Their coach Billy McKinley was rather impressed by Sandhu's performance, and said the young footballer's performance in the Cup tie was the reason he was chosen ahead of Ivory Coast International Sayouba Mande for the match against Start. Sandhu said, "After playing Stromsgodset, all the pressure went off. They are a very good team. I had not played a top
Tippeligaen team in proper competition before. So by playing them, the monkey was off my back."
