Gurpreet Singh Sandhu became the first Indian footballer to play for a top-tier European club after the custodian made his debut for Stabek FC in a Norwegian Cup tie against Runar on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old joined the former Norwegian champions on a three-year contract last year and is second choice goalkeeper behind Ivory Coast international Sayouba Mande.
The debut could have not been more satisfying for the lanky Sandhu as he kept a clean slate in Stabek's 6-0 thrashing of Runar.
"I'm really proud and happy that it happened," Sandhu, who played his lone match for the Indian senior side in the Asian Cup in 2011, told the Times of India.
"I was waiting for the chance -- the team won, that's the main thing and (I got) a clean sheet and I thank the team for that."
India, a country of 1.3 billion people, rank a lowly 147 in the FIFA rankings, reflecting soccer's struggle for growth in the cricket-obsessed nation frequently dubbed the "sleeping giants" of football.
The world's second-most populous country in the past had players like Mohammad Salim and former captains Baichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri ply their trade in Europe but their stints were all for lower division sides.
Sandhu hoped he would get more first-team chances for Stabek, who are currently ranked ninth after three rounds in the Norwegian top flight.
"He (Mande) is a very good goalkeeper, but we are competitors when we are on the pitch," he added.
"I will show my manager that I'm as good as Mande, and that I deserve a second chance. I would very much like to be Stabaek's number one."
Photograph: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu/Facebook
