#3 Prateek Shinde
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Pratik Shinde’s story is one of hardship and struggle that has led him to the top of the Indian footballing pyramid. Born in a chawl in the Chembur suburb of Mumbai, he started playing football at the age of seven. His baby steps as a professional footballer were taken with Mumbai’s Kenkre football academy, which has developed a reputation for scouting young talent.
The midfielder’s rise to international recognition came during the 2010 Gothia Cup in Sweden where he scored one of the goals of the tournament. His performance in the Gothia Cup led American side Galveston Pirates to offer him a professional contract, making him the youngest Indian to sign a professional contract with a foreign club.
Pratik returned to India to play in the Indian Super League in 2014 but has since returned to the United States to play for the Houston Hurricanes in his second stint with the club.