“It’s not just about saving goals anymore”
The Indian national goalkeeper will be the face of PUMA football in India joining the country’s strong roaster of PUMA athletes like Virat Kohli, Mary Kom and KL Rahul.
To us, he talked about what it is like playing football in a country where cricket is the beloved national sport, what makes a good goalkeeper, why he and PUMA are a perfect fit and more!
I started playing football in my school’s academy in Chandigarh at the age of 8 or 9. That’s how I learnt about the game and I’ve been a goalkeeper since.
Coming from a country where cricket is the national sport – What do you like most about football?
It finishes much faster than a cricket game ?. No, just joking. I have nothing against cricket to be honest, I love the game and my dad is a huge fan. In football, it’s different because it’s a contact sport and it’s played in almost 200 countries which makes it completely different to cricket.
In how far did the role of the goalkeeper change over the last years?
Goalkeeping has changed so much over the years: It’s not about just saving goals anymore, it’s also about starting attacks and play more with their feet.
What does it mean being a team captain from your point of view?
I have captained the team on some occasions yes. Right now Sunil Bhai is our captain and a great leader. Being captain is to make sure you lead by example and help players in the team develop and be there for the team.
I think at the age of 15 when I joined the Junior National teams of India and I got a chance to watch the National League and interact with the professional players. That’s when I knew I could play football professionally.
What makes a good goalkeeper?
A good goalkeeper can avoid situations before they even happen just via communication and good positioning.
How can you, as a goalkeeper, train to stay calm and focused during a penalty shot ?
I think it’s just about making sure that you are confident in your approach.
Why is PUMA the perfect brand for you?
PUMA, for me, is the perfect brand to help me enhance my game professionally and also grow as a person.
How can you and PUMA further the adoption of football in India?
I think what has been missing so far is a platform and the awareness of Indian football in India so I think together, we will try to work things out and build that bridge of opportunities and awareness about the game and provide that platform for kids.
Career
Gurpreet was born in 1992 in Mohali, Punjab, India. At the age of 8, he started playing football and joined the St. Stephen’s Academy. After good performances, Gurpreet was selected for his state youth team, the Punjab U16s. He made his youth state level debut in 2006 in Haldwani. He stayed at St.Stephen’s Academy úntil 2009 when he joined Indian League team East Bengal as a youth player.
In 2010, Gurpreet officially signed a professional contract with East Bengal. In August 2014, he signed with the Norwegian club Stabaek. After featuring in a number of cup games, including Stabæk’s entire 2016 cup run, he made his league debut in late May 2016, becoming the first Indian footballer to play in a European top division league. Shortly after, he also became the first Indian footballer to feature in a UEFA Europa League match.
In August 2017, Gurpreet returned to India and signed with Bengaluru FC.
