"They told me directly that the coach didn’t like me" - Chennaiyin FC's Gurmukh Singh on difficulties early in his career, role models, and more

Chennaiyin FC defender Gurmukh Singh has outlined the struggles he faced early in his career as a budding footballer.

One of the newest additions to the ISL, the centre-back is only 23, but has faced his fair share of difficulties in his bid to get to the top. Gurmukh began his career with East Bengal's U-18 team. However, official records suggest that he was then without a club for two years before joining Techtro Swades United FC in 2020.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Gurmukh Singh described his early years as a school kid interested in football. He said:

"In my childhood, when I was in 5th-6th standard, I used to play just like that. After that, my uncle Ajmer Singh Sethu had started an academy in the village. It’s still running today. And I started playing there because of him."

He then spoke about the first steps he took towards turning his interest in football into a profession. The Chennaiyin defender, considered by those among the club as one of the shyest in the building, was outspoken about the gap he had to take even before his career had taken off.

"My first club was East Bengal, I’d played there for the under-18s. That’s where I started and now I’m here," Gurmukh Singh said.

"Problems in a player’s life come by quite a bit. It feels normal. There was a time when I had stopped playing football. It was when I was with the East Bengal under-18s. They had taken me up to the senior team and I practiced with them for a year.

"In the end, they told me directly that the coach didn’t like me. I left it there and there was nobody to tell me what to do. I started to feel that I wouldn’t be able to play, and was more inclined towards studying after that. That would have been my hardest time."

The problems he faced allowed him, despite his young age, to understand some of the issues faced by youngsters aspiring to become professional footballers. Gurmukh elaborated on the same:

"They don’t get chances. And chances are the most important thing. There are lots of good players but they don’t have a good platform to show their talent. Take my own example.

"Sometimes, if practice goes bad, our self confidence tends to drop. That’s why you need to believe in yourself and keep working hard."

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Chennaiyin FC defender Gurmukh Singh names his role models within the ISL

Now that he is in the ISL, India's top-flight, Gurmukh Singh is almost entirely focused on learning as much as he can. The defender has two players in particular he observes keenly: Chennaiyin FC teammate Fallou Diagne, and FC Goa and India defender Anwar Ali.

Speaking about Ali, Gurmukh said:

"I watch Anwar play. I really like his game. He remains cool all the time, playing with confidence and without any fear."

He added about Diagne, who joined the Marina Machans in the summer and has started all nine of their ISL 2022-23 matches:

"In Chennai… Fallou. For the same reason. He’s very experienced and even where you think things are going wrong, he manages to stay calm."

Gurmukh also joined the Marina Machans this summer on a free transfer after impressing for I-League side Rajasthan United FC last season. It was a big jump for the youngster, but he stated that the two-time ISL winners were always his preferred destination among the offers he had.

"I had heard quite a bit about Chennaiyin FC. It was my wish to play for Chennaiyin as well," Gurmukh Singh said.

"My agent had told me there were offers from 2-3 other clubs and he asked me where I wanted to go. Obviously, I had already liked Chennaiyin FC, so I told him I want to come here."

Gurmukh Singh debuted for Chennaiyin FC in the 2022 Durand Cup, but didn't play in any of their first six ISL 2022-23 matches. He made his ISL bow as a late substitute in a 3-1 win against Jamshedpur FC on November 19, but was back on the bench for their next match.

A tactical alteration has since seen coach Thomas Brdaric give him a starting berth in each of the Marina Machans' last two fixtures. Gurmukh's first start was a 3-1 defeat to Hyderabad FC on December 3, but he helped the team record a thumping 7-3 win over NorthEast United FC a week later.