Indian midfielder Anirudh Thapa has said that Sunil Chhetri has been a mentor for all of them. Chhetri recently announced his retirement and will play his last match for the Blue Tigers against Kuwait on June 6th at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Chhetri is known to lead from the front and has got the best out of the young players. The talisman has had a glorious career for the Blue Tigers, scoring 94 goals in 150 International caps.
The veteran is the fourth highest goal-scorer in the history of International football after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Al Daei.
Sunil Chhetri played his first international match against Pakistan in 2005 and scored his maiden international goal on his senior debut and ticked the right boxes in his career of almost two decades.
“Over the past seven years, whenever I’ve been in the national camp, he’s been the one everyone looks up to. He is an example-setter. He used to guide us through everything, tell us new things like how to stay fit, and what to do in your daily life. He has been a mentor for all,” Anirudh Thapa said in an interview with AIFF.
“It is an important match for all of us, and especially for Sunil bhai. We need to make sure that we qualify for the third round because that would be huge for Indian football and the fans. We’re playing at the Salt Lake and the stadium will be fully packed. We all know how crazy the fans are and how much they love football there. We will give our best for the nation. We need to be at our best to get those three points,” said Thapa.
Meanwhile, Thapa has been associated with the national team for seven years and he has played a key role in the success of the side.
“Seven years with the national team have been fantastic. I’ve played with some great players in the past and now also as players keep coming. I’m still learning a lot from my teammates and playing international matches for my country. I was fortunate enough to continue playing without missing any camps in those seven years,” Thapa said while reflecting on his time.
“It’s an absolute honour to wear the national team jersey. It was always a dream to play for India. Whenever I play for the jersey, I give my best. I don’t really have a target for how long or how many games I’ll play. Every day and every game for India is a proud moment for me,” he added.
