'This kid inside me, he never wants to stop': What all did Sunil Chhetri say in his retirement announcement video

Sunil Chhetri has called time on his international football career . The Indian football legend said that the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait on 6 June will be his last in the national colours.

The 39-year-old made the announcement in a video he posted on his social media handles. Chhetri’s last game is part of the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and will be held at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Here’s all he said in the video:

There’s one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my country. It was unbelievable. But the day before, morning, 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. 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 in the 80th minute. That day is probably that I’ll never ever forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey.

You know, the feeling that I recollect in the last 19 years is a very nice combination between duty, pressure and immense joy. I never thought individually these are the many games that I 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.

I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last. And the moment I told myself first that this is the game that’s going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything. It was so strange.

So when I did decide that this is going to be last, I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first. My dad was my dad, he was normal. He was relieved, happy, everything. But my mom and my wife strangely started crying and I told them, you always used to bug me that there are too many games, there is too much pressure when you watch me. And now that I’m telling you that I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game. And even they couldn’t express to me why they burst into tears.

It’s not that I was feeling tired. When the instinct came that it should be my last game, that I thought about it a lot. And eventually I came to this decision. So will I be sad after this? Of course. Do I feel sad sometimes, every day because of this? Yes. Do I miss that after 20 days of training all of this will be gone? Yes. It’ll all be gone. Yes, it took time because this kid inside, he never wants to stop. If given a chance to play for his country, never.

I’m really fortunate in my life. There have been so many amazing things that have happened to me. I practically live a dream, but nothing comes close to playing for the country. So the kid kept fighting and probably even in future will keep fighting inside. I think the sensible, the matured player, the person inside knows it, knew it, that, This is it. But it wasn’t easy.

Every training that I do with the national team now, and I can say it because my name has come in the camp. Every training that I do with the national team, I just want to enjoy it. I can feel that I don’t feel the pressure. Wherein this game demands pressure. Against Kuwait, we need the three points to qualify for the next round, third round. It’s hugely important for us. But in a very strange and nice way, I don’t feel the pressure because I know these 15-20 days of training with the national team and the match against Kuwait is the last.

So I’m quite certain that I’m just going to go there and enjoy and give whatever that I’ve got.

I’ll say something controversial. I don’t think I know any player who has got more love, affection, adulation from the fans in a holistic manner in my country than me. A lot of times people talk about high school or this that number of games. But the one thing that I think that I’ve got the best and I’m really pampered is the love and affection that I’ve got. I think it’s time for our country to see the next number nine. It is time that we build on it. Already we are a little bit handicapped because a lot of players, a lot of national team boys do not play as number nines at their clubs. that’s a different topic we can talk about. At least now, when I’m not going to be there, I am pretty sure there are so many of them are going to step up and they will need time.

You know how a lot of things in your life goes well and you enjoying but you still want that one thing which gives you extra boost or different kind of happiness where everything good going in your life seems small, national team is that for me. But I’m going to miss everything about it. From the day that the name comes, that you’re called to the camp, joining there, meeting all the players from different clubs, having one agenda, sitting, training together, dining together, and then wearing the jersey and the national anthem.

First captain Venkatesh, from Bhaichung Bhutia, from the Renedy Singh, Samir Naik, Subrata Pal, Shiv Kumar, NP Pradeep, Climax Lawrence, Stephen Dias, Abhishek Yadav, Maharajuddin, so many of them. To this team, the young ones, I asked them, what’s your age? 2002. What’s your age? 2003. They tell me their date of birth. All of them, the entire team, the players that I’ve played with, the teams that I’ve played against, the coaches that I’ve learned from, right from my first coach, Sukhi sir, Bob Houghton, Armando sir (Armando Colaco), Wim Kovermans, Savio sir (Savio Medeira), Stephen Constantine, Igor Stimac, to the doctors, to the physios, to everyone. And I’m just taking all your names so that you know (that) without you, this 19 years would not have been possible.

Personally, I’ve spoken to you and I’ve told you this. Right from when I was 20 to now when I’m 39, I’ve been so loved and encouraged and people have gone so wild with happiness when I do well. I think it’s a great fortune of mine. So thank you. Thank you to the core group who has helped me to be the kind of player that I became and for the 19 years. To the fans, to the ones who are thinking that I should retire, I hope it makes you happy. To the ones who think that I shouldn’t have and I did well, thank you. Because of your love and affection, I’ve reached 19 years. Make sure you understand that you are a part of it.

Yeah, one last game against Kuwait. For all our sakes, let’s do a good game. Let’s win the game and… and we can depart happily.

Do you ever wish a little boy was slightly older to watch and understand what his dad is doing on the pitch? Yes. Yes. I would have loved to walked with him to at least my last game. I would have loved for him to at least see what father did or the way he performed. Thankfully, unlike old times, there will be videos. But then, yes, I would have loved for him to come and watch his father for the last time.

Finally, you were given a choice to have something inscribed on a headstone that is related to Indian football. What would it be? Because you asked me, I’ve never thought about it. It might sound funny, strange, whatever. But anyways, it’s my last game. The luckiest… and the most hard-working national team player.