After gorgeous the footballing world with the information of his retirement, ace India marksman Sunil Chhetri revealed that he was having fun with each second of being with the nationwide aspect.
A participant who redefined the requirements of Indian soccer, Chhetri emerged as an inspiration not just for his nation but additionally within the worldwide circuit. Taking to his social media deal with on Thursday, the footballing icon stated he would don the nationwide jersey one final time in a global fixture towards Kuwait on June 6.
The match will present him one final alternative to play in entrance of his adoring residence followers on the Salt Lake Stadium earlier than he brings the curtains down on a 19-year-long profession.
In a video he shared on X (previously Twitter) the India captain reminisced the primary time he was referred to as as much as signify the nationwide aspect. (Sunil Chhetri, Indian Football Legend, Announces Retirement; India Vs Kuwait World Cup Qualifier To Be His Last Match)
The fourth-highest worldwide purpose scorer recalled the ‘immense pleasure’ he felt taking part in for India. He stated he arrived on the tough determination over the previous few months that the forthcoming sport could be his final for the nation.
“There is one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my countryman, it was unbelievable. But the day before, the morning of the day, Sukhi sir, my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man. I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and to the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late 80th minute, that day is probably that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey,” Chhetri stated in a prolonged social media submit.
“You know the feeling that I recollect in the last 19 years is a very nice combination of duty pressure and immense joy. I never thought individually, these are the many games that I’ve played for the country, this is what I’ve done, good or bad, but now I did it. This last one and a half, two months, I did it and it was very strange. I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last,” the ace striker added.
The 39-year-old underlined that he made the choice organically and never below the affect of any exterior components.
“And the moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything. It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So when I did decide that this is it, this is going to be my last game,” Chhetri added.
The record-breaking ahead recalled emotional instances together with his household, stating that his mom and spouse have been in tears when he knowledgeable them of his intention to retire from worldwide soccer.
“I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first, my dad, he was normal, he was relieved, happy, everything, but my mom and my wife started crying and I told them, you always used to bug me that there are too many games, there is too much of pressure when you watch me and now that I’m telling you that, you know, I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game,” he posted.
Chhetri acknowledged that if given the chance, he would by no means depart the sport.
“And even they couldn’t, they couldn’t express to me as to why they, they burst into tears. It’s not that I was feeling tired, it’s not that I was feeling this or that, when the instinct came that this should be my last game, then I thought about it a lot,” Chhetri added.
. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, in addition to the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He additionally led India to victory within the 2008 AFC (*19*) Cup, which helped India qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.
The footballing icon acquired the Arjuna Award in 2011 and the Padma Shri in 2019. In 2021, he turned the primary footballer to get the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour.
In a profession that spanned over 19 years, the Arjuna Award winner has 94 objectives in 150 matches on the worldwide stage. The most-capped Indian footballer is the third-highest goal-scorer on the worldwide stage with icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi forward of him.