Subrata Pal facts for kids
Pal training with India in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Subrata Paul | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Sodepur, West Bengal, India | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2004 | Tata Football Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Mohun Bagan | 0 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | East Bengal | 31 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Pune | 40 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Prayag United | 15 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Rangdajied United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Vestsjælland (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Mumbai City | 26 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Salgaocar (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | NorthEast United | 11 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → DSK Shivajians (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Jamshedpur | 43 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Hyderabad | 6 | (0) |
| 2021 | → East Bengal (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Mohun Bagan (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 222 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 2006 | India U23 | ||
| 2007–2017 | India | 67 | (0) |
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Subrata Paul (born 24 December 1986) is a famous Indian former football player. He was a goalkeeper, known for his amazing saves. Many people think he is one of India's best goalkeepers ever. In 2016, the Indian government gave him the Arjuna Award, which is a very important award for sports in India.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Mohun Bagan
Subrata Paul began his professional football journey with Mohun Bagan in 2004. He had trained at the Tata Football Academy before this. During a big game in 2004, an accident happened on the field. This event led to important changes in Indian football, making sure there were better medical facilities at games.
Playing for East Bengal
In 2007, Subrata joined East Bengal, a rival club. He quickly became a key player for them. He was even named the best goalkeeper in the I-League in 2007 because of his excellent skills. His great performance helped East Bengal win the Federation Cup in 2007. This win also helped his team get into the AFC Cup 2008. Subrata played 31 league games for East Bengal as their main goalkeeper.
Time at Pune FC
Subrata moved to Pune FC in 2009. While playing for Pune, he even got a chance to try out for a Canadian team, Vancouver Whitecaps, in 2010. He really wanted to play football in other countries, like in Europe, South Korea, Japan, or Australia.
Moving to Prayag United
In 2012, Subrata signed with Prayag United. He played his first game for them in October 2012, which his team won 5–1. He started well, but his team's performance dipped later in the season.
Loan to Rangdajied United
Subrata signed a contract to play in the new Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014. At first, some I-League clubs didn't want to sign players who were also part of the ISL. But in November 2013, Rangdajied United agreed to sign Subrata and other ISL players. He played his first game for Rangdajied in November 2013, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
Playing in Denmark with FC Vestsjælland
In January 2014, Subrata made history by signing with FC Vestsjælland in Denmark. This made him one of the few Indian footballers to play professionally abroad and the first Indian goalkeeper to play for a top European team. Although he was part of the squad, he mostly played with the reserve team and did not appear in first-team matches.
Joining Mumbai City FC
Subrata was chosen by ISL club Mumbai City FC in 2014. He was their main goalkeeper until 2015, playing 26 games. Even though he played very well, his team didn't make it to the semi-finals.
Loan to Salgaocar and DSK Shivajians
Subrata was loaned to Salgaocar in the I-League for the 2014–15 season. Later, after playing for NorthEast United in 2016, he was loaned to DSK Shivajians in December 2016.
Time at Jamshedpur FC
In 2017, Subrata was picked by Jamshedpur FC for the 2017–18 Indian Super League season. He played in their very first match in November 2017 and helped them keep a clean sheet (meaning the other team didn't score).
After the season, Subrata won the Indian Super League Golden Glove Award for being the best goalkeeper. He was then kept by the club for the next season.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Jamshedpur in 2019, Subrata played for Hyderabad FC in 2020. He then had loan spells with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. After not playing for over a year, Subrata announced his retirement from professional football on 8 December 2023, at the age of 36.
International Career for India
Subrata has played for India at all different age levels. He became well-known with the Under-23 team when he made three crucial saves in a penalty shootout against Myanmar. This helped India qualify for the group stage of the Pre-Olympic qualifiers.
In 2007, he became the main goalkeeper for the Indian Senior Team. He was named the best goalkeeper at the Nehru Cup in 2007.
Nehru Cup 2007 Success
Subrata was a key part of the Indian team that won the Nehru Cup in 2007. His amazing saves helped India reach the finals for the first time. In the final against Syria, he and the defenders worked together to stop many attacks. India won the tournament 1–0. The coach, Bob Houghton, said Subrata was "splendid in the goal."
Winning the AFC Challenge Cup 2008
He was also part of the Indian team that won the AFC Challenge Cup 2008. His important saves in the final helped India qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. This was a big deal because India hadn't qualified for 24 years!
More Nehru Cup Wins
Subrata was again part of the winning Indian team in the Nehru Cup in 2009. He made three fantastic saves in the final, helping India win the match 5–3 on penalties. He stopped the final shot, securing the Cup for India.
AFC Asian Cup 2011 Heroics
Subrata was the goalkeeper for India in the AFC Asian Cup 2011. He made over 35 saves during the tournament! After a game against South Korea, newspapers called him 'Spiderman' and the 'real MVP' (Most Valuable Player). He humbly said, "I am not a spiderman, just a novice learning my goalkeeping." Even though India lost all their group matches, many said that without Subrata's incredible saves, the losses would have been much bigger.
World Cup Qualifiers
Subrata was the main goalkeeper for India in their World Cup Qualifier match against UAE. He even captained the team in a warm-up match that India won. However, in the qualifier against UAE, he was sent off (given a red card) early in the game. This made it very hard for India, and they lost the match.
In 2015, coach Stephen Constantine named Subrata the captain of the India national football team. Under his leadership, the team moved to the second round of qualification after beating Nepal.
Honours and Awards
India National Team
- AFC Challenge Cup: 2008
- SAFF Championship: 2015; runner-up: 2008, 2013
- Nehru Cup: 2007, 2009, 2012
- Tri-Nation Series: 2017
Individual Awards
- Arjuna Award: 2016
- East Bengal "Player of the Season Award": 2008
- Indian Super League Golden Glove Award: 2017–18
Personal Life
Subrata lives with his family in Sodepur, Kolkata. In 2012, he married Debasmita Mukherjee Pal, who is the daughter of another famous Indian goalkeeper, Debashish Mukherjee.
Awards and Nominations
In 2016, Subrata received the Arjuna Award, which is India's highest sports honor. In 2015, he was also nominated for the Times of India Sports Awards, alongside other great Indian athletes.
See also
In Spanish: Subrata Pal para niños
- List of Indian football players in foreign leagues
