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Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is having trials at Norway top tier outfit Stabaek since May 20, Sportskeeda can reveal.
The 22-year-old, who is an India U-23 international and made more than 100 appearances for East Bengal, is a free player now and has been training with Stabaek’s first team squad.
Stabaek have won promotion to Norway’s topmost league, Tippeligaen, this season and is currently managed by former USA and Egypt coach Bob Bradley.
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The club was formed in 1912 but have won the top tier only once back in 2008 when they also featured in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
Interestingly all three goalkeepers of their current first-team are younger than Gurpreet although their first-choice custodian Sayouba Mande is an Ivory Coast international and going to the World Cup.
Gurpreet is looking to become the fifth Indian player to play professionally in Europe after Mohammed Salim, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri and Subrata Pal.
He had a one-week training-cum-trial stint at Wigan Athletic in 2012 but looks to have a good chance of landing a contract in Norway as work permit won’t be a problem there. However if offered a contract, the Punjabi lad won’t be able to join them until July when the transfer window reopens. Indian football fans would be eagerly waiting to see if this can transpire in to a move for the goalkeeper.
The season in Norway is currently in progress with Stabaek sixth in the 16-team league after 11 rounds. In two weeks Gurpreet has bonded well with the rest of the squad and also recently met Norway’s Indian-origin midfielder Harmeet Singh, who plies his trade at Molde.
The league takes a break due to the World Cup between the second week of June and the first week of July and it remains to be seen whether Gurpreet returns to India during that period or stays in Norway to get used to the life there ahead of a potential move.
Gurpreet has also been included among India’s Asian Games probables with the camp scheduled to start in Bangalore from the first week of July.
