Of the 10 Indians who will be up for grabs at the auction of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Mumbai on Friday, strikers Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh are the most sought after players. All the eight teams will surely have an eye on the duo and will be looking to spend big money on them.
30-year-old Chhetri, who has scored 50 goals for the national team, is the more experienced of the two and comes with a base price of Rs 80 lakh in the auction while Robin, who is seen as the star for the future, is valued at Rs 40 lakh. Although Chhetri is already a popular name among the masses, Robin Singh is touted as the next big thing of Indian football and hopefully the game's flag bearer for the country in the coming years.
Singh, who started his career at the Tata Football Academy, got his big break at the age of 19 when one of the biggest I-League teams East Bengal decided to spend a whopping Rs 50 lakh on the young attacker back in 2010. He has come a long way since then and is now a known commodity in Indian football. Although he has scored just once for the national team, he is seen as one of the most dependable players.
Singh is a product of the TATA football Academy where he spent three years before getting his big break with domestic giants East Bengal before he moved to Bengaluru FC in 2013. The moved paid off richly as Singh was part of a team that went on to lift the I-League as well as the Federation Cup.
Robin was unfortunate not to feature in the first edition of ISL as his club refused to release him, but he is pretty much excited that he will be available for selection this time around and is all praise for the league while dreaming that Delhi Dynamos wins him at the players' auction.
"The league (ISL) has really helped us grow as a nation. It has put Indian football on the global map and people across the world know about it. The international exposure with the foreign stars is invaluable to all the Indian boys.
"Being a Delhi boy, I would love to play for Delhi and give back to my home town. However, I am open to all the teams that are ready to make me a part of their family. I have my fingers crossed and am waiting to give it my best," Robin Singh said talking to IBNLive Sports.
The Delhi lad, who is a big fan of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, was also excited about the number of foreign coaches in the ISL. The likes of legendary Zico and Roberto Carlos are huge names and Singh said Indian football looks up to these icons of the game.
"Zico and Roberto Carlos will surely help young Indian footballers despite the tournament being just two months long. The guidance goes on from pre-season and during the game, hence the exposure duration is longer. That's quite a lot of time to pass on their experience to the Indian boys," he added.
The tall forward, who made his competitive debut for India just over three years ago, also praised coaches he has played under and said that each and every one of them has really helped him evolve as a player.
"My focus, game, temperament and also my ability has only become better since my debut for the national team. My performances over the years have proved this. This has been possible only due to all my coaches, team-mates, fans and family who have been there for me and guided at my worst and best.
"Each foreign coach I have played under has brought something unique with them. They, in their own way, have helped me grow as a player as well as an individual. Most of them have been English men and the common quality that they help me imbibe was the English style of football," he added.
Robin, who idolises Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo, also advised young aspiring footballers to remain focused. "My advice to young boys who wants to be footballers would be to always keep focus on your goal and never lose track. Don't let the criticism of others bring you down but only uplift you, since an athlete is worshipped in his good days and brought down in his bad."
Finally, when questioned on India hosting for FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, Singh was pretty confident that All India Football Federation (AIFF), with the help of Indian government, will successfully pull this one off.
"Our country has come a long way on the International front and has been progressive. The FIFA U-17 World Cup is something that I am awaiting eagerly for and the tournament will surely be a success," he concluded.
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