It was a few minutes past 9.30pm on a muggy Monday night. The Indians had given it their all, against the Colombians in the group stage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. They lost 2-1, but scored their first goal in a FIFA tournament. After the final whistle, as the tired players trudged towards the tunnel, a loud cheer erupted from a section of the crowd at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The reason? Goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem. He stopped, folded his hands and bowed to the crowd. In two matches, the Manipuri boy, 17, had impressed everyone with his confidence and courage. When a group of fans called out his name, Dheeraj walked over to them, shook several hands and signed an autograph or two. A future star was born.
The boy from Moirang, a town 45 minutes from Imphal, is liked by everyone, be it fans, coaches, teammates or even the opposition. He is a sweet, quiet one who has delivered standout performances. “I have worked very hard to be here and I am thankful to everyone who supported me,” Dheeraj told THE WEEK. “I thank all my coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. They have always encouraged me to become the best version of myself.”
The Indian Colts have been punching above their weight in their first FIFA tournament, and Dheeraj has been the heaviest hitter—he has literally punched away many a ball to safety. He successfully fended off excellent attacks, like the header by Jaminton Campaz of Colombia in the 36th minute, or a flurry of shots by the US players in the first match.
In fact, it was United States coach John Hackworth who first praised Dheeraj. After India’s opening match against the US, which the home team lost 3-0, Hackworth said: “He made several saves in the opening 20 minutes. He was exceptional on the night. If he hadn’t made those saves, the game would have opened up.”
Bhaskar Ganguly, former goalkeeper and the Indian captain at the 1982 Asian Games, said: “He is promising and brave, too. He is India’s future goalkeeper.”
Former Indian captain I.M. Vijayan, too, was impressed by the boy’s reading of the game at such a young age. “He has very strong arms,” Vijayan told THE WEEK. “Once he collects the ball and throws it back, it reaches the centre of the pitch. In two to three years, he will be one of the best goalkeepers in India. His timing and positioning during set pieces are absolutely spot on. He is extremely mature for his age.”
Just two games in, and there is already buzz that top clubs are scouting him. His father, Romit Singh Moirangthem, staying in a South Delhi hotel along with parents of other players from Manipur, told THE WEEK, with a hint of caution: “Yes, a lot of people are showing interest in him, but I won’t say anything. It is all up to Dheeraj.”
The boy gets his calm demeanour from his father. Romit Singh, however, said his son was also a funny guy. Dheeraj’s footballing hero is former Indian player Renedy Singh. “He is more like a big brother to him,” said Romit Singh.
The family has not met Dheeraj for almost six months. They got a chance to meet him briefly at his hotel on the morning after the Colombia match. “My wife and I just gave him our blessings,” said the soft-spoken father, who has been flooded with congratulatory calls from Manipur, including one from the state sports minister. He is so chuffed that he has already watched the India versus Colombia match thrice in his hotel room.
But, the father was not always so supportive. “I am not interested in football,” said Romit Singh. “He was very good at studies and I wanted him to pursue that. But, seeing him now, I am glad he decided to pursue what he wanted.”
Dheeraj himself had no dreams of becoming a footballer. At 11, he played badminton at his residential school because he “didn’t like playing in the crowded soccer field”. However, when at home, football was his main pastime. He soon joined the All Moirang Football Association academy, where local coach Surendro Singh took him under his wing. His game improved every day. Later, at his son’s instance, Romit Singh took Dheeraj to the Tata Football Academy in Jamshedpur. At 12, he was selected for the state team. The same year, he impressed officials at the AIFF Festival in West Bengal, and was called to join the U-14 side of the AIFF Kalyani academy. At 13, he made it to the U-16 side.
Abhishek Yadav, former India international and chief operating officer of the India U-17 team, described Dheeraj as a lovely boy. “There was quite a lot of work done on him at the AIFF academy,” he told THE WEEK. “He has grown not just as a footballer, but also as an individual. He is a humble boy, sensible, too. Most importantly, he has the ability to adapt to different coaches.”
Dheeraj’s fledgling career, however, has also had its setbacks. At the Granatkin Cup last year, he was substituted for the first time in his career. In a four-nation tour in Mexico this year, he was vulnerable against set pieces. Even in the match against the US, Dheeraj conceded two of three goals to set pieces.
Said national U-17 coach Luis Norton de Matos: “We played Mexico, Chile and Colombia on our Mexico exposure tour. We conceded nine goals, of which seven were from set pieces. So, it was important to have a top goalkeeping coach for the last month of preparation.” In came Paulo Grilo, a former coach in America’s Major League Soccer.
Said Matos: “His work with the three goalkeepers has been exceptional. To control the space of the ball, to be honest, is not my area of expertise. Paulo is a fantastic goalkeeper coach. The position-specific training has helped.” In the following months, Dheeraj could be seen leaving the penalty box and taking on attacks with confidence. In fact, during most of the match against Colombia, he acted as a sweeper keeper.
“The exposure tours helped me a lot in taking my game to the next level. They taught me the minute technicalities of international football. Both coaches were pivotal in helping me grow,” said Dheeraj.
The goalie’s future looks bright. Apart from being on the radar of top clubs, he will continue playing with the AIFF Academy team in the upcoming edition of the I-League. “For us, the player’s development is most important,” said Yadav. “We will direct clubs accordingly, though nothing has come to us yet officially. We will see the complete setup, the coaches on the club’s roster, who is the goalkeeping coach, where they stand, etc,” said Yadav.
For Dheeraj’s father, however, the answer is simple: “He will decide what is best for him.”
