Biography
Who is Gurpreet Singh Sandhu?
Early life and beginnings
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was born in Mohali, Punjab, into a Sikh Jat family. He began his football path at age eight. In 2000, he joined the St Stephen's Academy to develop his skills. His early promise led to his selection for the Punjab U16 state youth team. By 2006, he made his youth state level debut in Haldwani. He remained at the academy until 2009, when he transitioned to the youth setup of the Kolkata-based East Bengal club.
Professional club career in India and Norway
In 2010, Gurpreet signed a professional contract with East Bengal, making several appearances before the end of the season. During the 2010–11 campaign, he was loaned to Pailan Arrows. He later became the primary goalkeeper for East Bengal during the 2011–12 I-League season. His continental debut occurred on 6 March 2012 in an AFC Cup match against Al-Oruba. He played for the club until 2014, participating in both domestic league games and AFC Cup competitions against opponents like Selangor F.C. And Kuwait SC.
Seeking new challenges, he signed with the Norwegian club Stabæk in August 2014. He made his senior debut for the team in a 4–1 friendly win against Follo in early 2015. In May 2016, he achieved a major milestone by becoming the first Indian player to appear in a European top-division league during a match against IK Start. Shortly after, on 30 June 2016, he made history as the first Indian to feature in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Connah's Quay Nomads. He concluded his time in Norway in August 2017.
Tenure with Bengaluru and national team
In August 2017, Gurpreet returned to India to join Bengaluru. He quickly became a central figure for the squad, helping them reach the 2017–18 Indian Super League finals. He earned the Golden Glove award during the 2019–20 season for recording 11 clean sheets, the most by any goalkeeper that year. His leadership role expanded in the 2021–22 season when he became the team's vice-captain, leading the side in various AFC Cup and league matches when the primary captain was absent.
On the international stage, Gurpreet made his debut for the India U19s in 2009. He was later selected for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup squad. He earned his first senior team captaincy on 3 September 2016 during a friendly against Puerto Rico, which resulted in a 4–1 victory. A well-known highlight of his international career occurred in 2019 during a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar. Serving as captain in place of an injured Sunil Chhetri, he made 11 saves to secure a 0–0 draw against the Asian champions.
Personal life and awards
Gurpreet completed his education as a graduate of DAV College in Chandigarh. Outside of his professional duties, he has publicly expressed admiration for goalkeepers Edwin van der Sar and Subrata Pal. He maintains a sponsorship agreement with the German sportswear company PUMA. His dedication to the sport has been recognized with several distinctions, including being the fifth Indian to play professionally in Europe and receiving the Arjuna Award in 2019 for his contributions to Indian football.
Birthday and age
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was born on February 3, 1992, which makes Gurpreet 34 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Gurpreet shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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