Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
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2018
From: Marcus Mergulhao, Goalie Dheeraj gets three-year Scottish deal, April 25, 2018: The Times of India
1st Indian since 1936 to join Scottish club
Marcus Mergulhao, Goalie Dheeraj gets three-year Scottish deal, April 25, 2018: The Times of India
But Work Permit Is Still A Big Hurdle
More than 80 years after Mohammed Salim gave a trial in front of 1,000 Celtic FC members and showed them his dazzling array of skills, another Indian, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, has quietly caught another Scottish club’s attention.
Salim, a star in the legendary Mohammedan Sporting Club side, had played in two friendlies for Celtic in 1936, both of which they won, but the homesick barefoot-hero decided to return home to Calcutta, now Kolkata. Goalkeeper Dheeraj, India’s hero at the Fifa U-17 World Cup last year, too, embarked on a difficult journey from his hometown of Moirang, a sub-divisional headquarter in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. But the young goalkeeper could stay much longer after being offered a three-year contract by Scottish Premiership side Motherwell FC.
“He has done well during his time at Motherwell and the club has offered him a threeyear contract. We have to now sort out the work permit which looks challenging,” said his agent Anuj Kichlu.
Dheeraj has been giving trials at Motherwell for over two months. He cannot sign a contract until he turns 18 years of age on July 4 and the club secures a work permit, which, given the circumstances, wouldn’t be easy.
The UK has strict rules for footballers to qualify for a work permit. As per the rules, a player should feature in at least 75% of his country’s competitive international games over the past two years, while the country, on an average over those two years, should have been in the top 70 of Fifa rankings.
Dheeraj wouldn’t qualify on both counts.
But the club would still try its luck and hope the authorities make an exception. If they fail, Dheeraj could be allowed to play elsewhere and the club would once again apply for a work permit for the 2019-20 season when, hopefully, Dheeraj would have fought his way into the senior Indian team.
“Although on trial here, I am part of the team. I train with the first team goalkeepers and there is so much to learn from the speed, intensity and physical play, both in training and watching the matches,” said Dheeraj.
The India under-17 goalkeeper quit Indian Arrows, the All India Football Federation’s developmental squad, at the end of his contract in December 2017, and has since then chased his European dream.
“I am happy to know that Motherwell are happy with my progress in training and I would like to thank the coaching staff and management for this opportunity. At first, the weather was very cold and rainy, but now I have gotten used to it. Spring is much more pleasant,” said Dheeraj.
