Gurpreet Singh Sandhu interview: The man for the big saves and the big occasions

On Tuesday, 4 June, Indian football had a red-letter day as the whole nation got together to celebrate India’s SAFF Championship 2023 title win over Kuwait in the final. The hero on the night was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu , who as always, amid the chaos and tension, stood tall in the penalty shootout with his calm demeanour. This time in the sudden death as India won 5-4 on penalties. It must have been a deja vu moment for Gurpreet. Three days back on the same pitch at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, at the same end, he had made another stretching save to the same side, this time in the semi-finals against Lebanon, to send India to the final.

The first time could be a fluke, the second time could be a coincidence, but three or more is proof that Gurpreet has a habit of making crucial penalty saves. In the last season of the Indian Super League (ISL) as well, the Bengaluru FC goalie had made the decisive penalty save in the semi-final to fire his team into the final. This level of consistency is a product of a well-thought process. From the outside, goalkeeping may look like just a job of quick reflexes and big jumps, but the thinking behind the movement and dives has to be equally good, spot on, and swift. “I have my own process which is a secret. It’s something which I can’t get right every time but I just try to read the player when they put the ball down. Try to know their approach, try to remember which position they play, is he a centre back, is he a striker, or a midfielder, just try to remember that and try to think like that,” the Red Bull athlete Gurpreet told Firstpost. “Just try to remember what I have seen in the training from kick-takers who play in different positions. For example, Subhasish Bose, Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh or Anirudh Thapa are from different positions, so I try to remember what they do, and in world football players from the same positions have the same kind of mentality. “So you try to choose the side according to that thought process. In that short span of time, you have to process all these thoughts and then I choose the side and go for it. And I try to make sure that I try to touch the ball if they shoot it in my area.” Gurpreet, who once played for Stabaek FC in Norway and is the first Indian footballer to play in a European top division and UEFA Europa League, stands tall at 6'4” and while he acknowledged that his height is a big advantage when it comes to doing his job, he also added that there are other important aspects as well. “Height helps definitely. It helps definitely if you are tall, quick, agile and have quick reflexes. Although it doesn’t mean everything. It doesn’t mean that you can save everything and anything. It’s also about good timing, a good approach and making sure that you go at the right time with the right mentality to touch the ball, that’s it. If you time it right and if you read the ball right, it helps,” he added.

That’s about making saves. But a football game for a goalkeeper is largely a game of inaction. For Gurpreet, the rule for a good game is to repeat the monotonous-looking training again and again. And then once on the pitch, reading the game and communication becomes key. “I think in goalkeeper’s training, repetition is key. To make that one save, you need to keep on repeating the same exercises. Trying to feel the movement and pace of the ball and then trying to remember that in the game. To make a save look easy is a lot of work in the training and that is something very important,” the 31-year-old said. “The other thing is to keep yourself in the game. You are in a lonely position, so when an attack is made against you, you need to be in the game, need to make sure that you have read the game well and you can anticipate when the ball would be crossed and shot. You need to be ready. I love that more than making saves. I love communicating and avoiding situations that can lead to shots at goal rather than flying and making the saves because there are 10 people in front of me who I can force to make the saves rather than me.” Training with the best also helps. “Sunil (Chhetri) bhai scores every day against me. He wants to practice penalty with me every day we train because he wants to do his training and I get to train against the best,” the former East Bengal player joked. On the fitness front, Gurpreet said having good sleep and nutrition goes a long way in keeping him in top shape. “I have always said that a good can of Red Bull here and there before the training helps. Even in the dressing room, I have it to make sure I am recharged and ready for the games, especially for 120 minutes games. We have other aspects as well; good sleep and good nutrition. So it’s a combination of things and I am very happy they (Red Bull) are with me on this journey,” the India No 1 said. [caption id=“attachment_12839592” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will be now going to Norway for some off-season training. Image: Red Bull[/caption] Buzzed with the crowd support the Blue Tigers got in Bengaluru during the SAFF Championship, Gurpreet enjoyed the fact the people turned up in big numbers in support of India and their talismanic striker, the 38-year-old Chhetri. “A consistent amount of performances and having nine home games in a span of two months have helped in creating awareness. Maybe no other sport was having its tournament at the same time. People are starting to realise how important Sunil Chhetri is to us. Also, this SAFF Cup was in Bangalore this time. Sunil’s home, my home, we all needed to experience this together because who knows how far things can go with him (Chhetri). He always keeps on saying that. We needed to make sure that we treasure this as much as we can and make sure we are there for this special journey of this special player,” he said reflecting on the SAFF Cup win. SAFF Championship victory signals a break for India players but for Gurpreet that is not the case. Best in the business in India, the goalkeeper is well aware of the standards he has to maintain. Also, with the AFC Asian Cup in January next year, there’s a lot to work towards. He travelled to Norway on Thursday to have a 10-day training at his former club Stabaek. No. 1 at club and country and a former player in the European top division, Gurpreet doesn’t want to rest on his laurels. He wants to be a changemaker and a winner. “I think I have achieved things but it’s not a lot. I have a vision of becoming someone who came in and was consistent through and through. Took on the big guns, faced big challenges and got the results that people didn’t expect. Changed the way how goalkeepers are perceived in India. Personal agendas are not my priority. It’s about getting success with the team which is something sweeter than anything I can get personally. “My aim is to win everything that I compete in when I play for either club or country. I want to go in knowing that I want to win the trophy because that’s what will matter when we finish. Nothing else will matter. No personal award, no golden glove, no best player award here and there is going to matter,” Gurpreet signed off.