Twenty-year-old Pune FC goalkeeper Amrinder Singh has come a long way. From a trainee at in the Peninsula Pune Football Club Academy (PPFCA) to playing regularly for the senior squad, then cementing his place as numero uno to earning a nod in the India team, the lanky Punjabi has worked himself up the ranks, literally.

Named in the 20-member national squad for the international friendly game against neighbours Bangladesh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on March 5 came as huge surprise for the soft-spoken lad.

In a free-wheeling interview, Amrinder spoke at large on feelings aplenty.

INTERVIEW

Take us through your feelings when you heard that you were shortlisted…
There were mixed emotions. I felt good, proud that my dream was being fulfilled. At the same time it felt unreal. Only a month ago, I was training in the Under-22 national camp (Bangalore) and wanted to cement my place at that level. However, this selection definitely came as a surprise.

Your family must be extremely happy?
Family is extremely happy. Parents are proud that their son is representing India, a dream they shared with me. At the same time, they advised me to stay grounded and continue working hard. Moreover, it is not just my family, my friends, relatives… everyone has been calling me since the news broke out wishing me luck on phone and social media. I want to thank all of them and hope I can make them proud.

How did coach Mike Snoei react?
Actually, the coach was the one who told me about the selection first. He was very happy, proud and at the same time told me to give my hundred percent for the national team no matter what.

Your teammates must be equally excited…
My teammates are among the very best and have been wishing me luck. Not just that, the senior members in our team like Anas bhai, Venkatesh bhai, Arata and Sunny paaji (Gurjinder Kumar) have particularly told me to stay focused and work hard. It’s really encouraging to get advice from senior players, players’ who have been there and done that.

Who would you like to dedicate this call up to?
I would really like to dedicate this call up to my family, the coach and also Glen Johnson, our goalkeeper coach and not forgetting Pune FC who believed and trusted my ability in this important position.