Six prominent Indian male footballers who have played abroad - At which age did they leave India?

ATK Mohun Bagan and India national team defender Sandesh Jhingan is all set to join Croatian First Football League side HNK Sibenik for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

When the deal goes through, the 28-year-old central defender will become the latest Indian male footballer to play professionally in Europe. Bengaluru FC custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was the last player to play in a top division European league.

Mohammedan Sporting great Mohammed Salim was the first Indian player to play for an European club when he played to matches donning the Celtic jersey in 1936 when he went to Scotland for trial with the club. 

He had impressed the Celtic management and was very close to sign a professional contract which would have made him not just the first Indian but also the first Asian player to play professionally in Europe but unfortunately, he became homesick and decided to return.

In 1999, Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia became the first Indian male footballer to sign for an European club when he joined English third tier side Bury FC. At that point he was also the youngest Indian player (22) to play abroad.

Bhutia stayed in England for three seasons before returning to India in 2002 and join Mohun Bagan. In 2003, he once again opted to move out of the country ply his trade at then Malaysian top division club Perak FA.

Other than Bhutia, notable players like Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu have also played abroad. In 2010, Chhetri joined MSL side Kansas City Wizards and then again in 2012 he went to Portugal and joined the reserves side of Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

Sandhu had played at Norwegian club Stabaek from 2014 to 2017. During his time in Norway, he had become the first Indian player to play in the Europa League. Sandhu and Romeo Fernandes, who had joined Brazil's Atletico Paranaense in 2015, are the youngest Indian male players along with Bhaichung Bhutia to join a foreign club.

Here we take a look at some of the prominent male Indian footballers who have played abroad and in which age they left the country.