FIFA U-17 World Cup: Meet Dheeraj Singh, the 5'9" custodian of India's footballing future

While Jeakson Singh Thounaojam rewrote Indian football history with his headed goal against Colombia on Monday, the first ever goal scored by India at a FIFA tournament finals, nobody was happier than his statemate at the other end of the pitch — goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.

Dheeraj has been under more scrutiny than anybody else in the team at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, but more often than not, he has come away unscathed. Though the US got three goals past him on the opening day, the weight of the occasion clearly having got to the Manipur-born custodian, he was in far better form against Colombia in the second match.

The Latin Americans tested his resolve with long rangers in the early stages, possibly to dent his confidence from the very outset, but the boy from Bishnupur only displayed his wide array of glovemanship, but also came off his line a couple of times and stopped vicious shots from the opponents as if he were programmed like a machine to do this.

Except he wasn’t even into football while growing up. He admitted to being a shy kid who initially took to badminton because “there were too many people on the football field” in school. He was then thrust into the U-14 team at the age of 11, just because of his sheer physical presence. Now 5'9", the goalkeeper was soon picked up by All India Football Federation (AIFF) scouts, and his journey began, even before he realised his career would be playing with a ball and gloves, not a raquet and shuttlecock.

Dheeraj, who was always fast-tracked because of his vertical prowess, made the India U-16 team at the age of 13. Coaches at the academy level had been voting for him to lead India, even before the squad for the U-17 World Cup squad was selected, let alone the playing XI.

And despite a 3-0 defeat, it was clear that years of rigorous hardwork had paid off for Dheeraj, who made a string of impressive saves to deny the Americans. “The goalkeeper made several important saves in the opening 20 minutes. He was exceptional,” said US coach John Hackworth after the match. “Had he not done so, the game could have really opened up.”

In their two matches, India has conceded five goals, but truth be told, there was very little Dheeraj could have done about any of them. A penalty kick, a deflection off his teammate, a swift counter attack and two world-class strikes by Juan Penaloza of Colombia were the only times Dheeraj’s defence was breached. Moreover, his ability to track the ball’s trajectory from long rangers has earned him high critical acclaim.

He pulled off four diving saves against Colombia, the one in the 42nd minute to deny Yadir Meneses particularly good. After the hour mark, with Luis Norton de Matos’ charges unfurling attack after attack to find an equaliser, Dheeraj even pulled off the role of a sweeper-keeper well.

Much of the credit for this goes to goalkeeping coach Paulo Grilo, who was only brought in by de Matos in the last month of preparation ahead of the mega event at home. Grillo, who had been with de Matos’ former club Benfica for seven years under Toni Oliveira, has had an immediate impact on Dheeraj and his understudies Prabhsukhan Singh Gill and Sunny Dhaliwal, as was evident during the final camps in Bengaluru and Goa in September, when all three were a much improved version of their own selves, both as players and individuals.

Former India captain-turned television pundit Bhaichung Bhutia hailed Dheeraj and said he will emerge as a world-beater post this tournament. “Dheeraj is the most improved player since I last watched them play. He is India’s stalwart at the back. He is not only India’s find of the tournament, but of the World Cup, in my opinion,” Bhutia said.

Dheeraj has captured the imagination of spectators as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi like no other 17-year-old has ever done before in the sport of football in India. Showcasing his wide array of capabilities by charging down on strikers and snatching high balls to not being sheepish to give his defenders a mouthful for disorganization, the chants of “Dheeraj, Dheeraj!” don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

With India’s last group game against the mighty Ghanaians, the spotlight will once again be on Dheeraj as India can ill afford to concede anymore as the hunt for a second-placed finish is a reality, though mathematically. However, lest we forget – he is just another seventeen-year-old.