10 best Indian football players of all time

#5 Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri needs no introduction. The Secunderabad-born striker has been the flag-bearer of Indian football in recent times. Chhetri, who also captains India, is also both the most-capped player,and the all-time top goalscorer for the Indian national team, notching 51 goals in 91 appearances.

He began his professional career with Mohun Bagan before moving to Punjab-based JCT in 2005. His goalscoring exploits for them brought recognition for the forward who was snapped up the USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS) side Kansas City Wizards in 2010.

Though he failed to make a mark, his stock in India was not affected. The high point of his time in the US came when he made an appearance against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly. Chhetri was given another opportunity to play abroad when Sporting Portugal’s B side signed him.

After a tough 2-year spell, he returned to India and has led Bengaluru FC to 2 I-League titles while also maintaining his goalscoring prowess for the national team. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year four times in 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2014. By the time he retires, Chhetri could well be the greatest footballer to play for the country.