Sportskeeda's Indian Footballer of the Year 2015 - counting down from No. 5 to No. 1

India have had an uninspiring year, but a few bright spots have shoneIt’s that time of the year when we applaud achievements and look back on chances and opportunities missed. And when you bring Indian football into this context, it can be safe to say that there have been a few achievements and unfortunately a lot of opportunities missed this year.The national side played a number of matches on FIFA matchdays this year but was unable to make much of an impact. Stephen Constantine’s side suffered poor defeats in the World Cup qualifiers with the only decent result being the 1-0 win against Guam at home.On the domestic front, the ISL was a success once again but question marks over the I-League remain. A number of clubs have decided to shut shop and some more are expected to follow.In spite of the lows, there have been some players who have brought us immense joy with their performances for club and country and have played a key role in inspiring the youth of the country which has often shied away from making this sport their profession.Here’s looking at the top 5 Indian players of 2015, culminating in the crowning of the Sportskeeda Indian Footballer of the Year 2015.

#5 Jackichand Singh

Jackichand was one of the finds of the year, quickly earning a call-up to the Indian national team

The young winger, hailing from the North Eastern region of the country was the find of the I-League season. His pace coupled with his ability to cross the ball and his ability to drift pass opponents made him a menace for opposition defences to handle. His performances in the competition led to him being named the Player of the Season and also enabled his side Royal Wahingdoh to finish in the top three.

Soon the Indian Super League came calling and in the inaugural auction, Jackichand was picked up by Pune City for a princely amount and he did not need long to repay the faith shown on him. He scored in the 1-0 win over Atletico de Kolkata and put in some decent performances later on.

He made his international debut in March when he came on in place of Lalrindika Ralte and has since then become a key player for the national team. He has made five more appearances since then but a goal still eludes him.

#4 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s development abroad is crucial for the national team

Away from the glitz and glamour of the Indian Super League and from the comforts of home, this young lad has been quietly making a name for himself.

In 2014, Sandhu was signed by Norwegian side Stabaek and in January this year, he finally made his debut for the club. Few months later he made his competitive debut in a Cup game and also kept a clean sheet. Sandhu hasn’t really played much since then for his club and it is pretty understandable. The former East Bengal custodian is slowly adapting to Norwegian conditions and getting a grasp of the quality of football played there. At this juncture, it would not be wise to rush him.

But the former American manager currently in charge of Stabaek, Bob Bradley has been greatly impressed with him and has stated on a few occasions that Sandhu is in his plans. A number of I-League and ISL clubs have tried to acquire him on loan but all offers have been rejected. Stabaek see him as their future number one and that itself is a great achievement.

Sandhu played a few games for the national side and kept a number of clean sheets this year.

#3 Robin Singh

Robin Singh frustrates at times, but consistently made decisive contributions for club and country in 2015

The Bengaluru FC man without a doubt has been the most improved Indian footballer this year. Over the course of the year, Robin has depicted various attributes that makes him a complete footballer.

Robin’s heading has vastly improved and that has brought him a number of goals. Further the striker is seen dropping back and helping out his defence; something that was earlier lacking from his game. All these have eventually enabled him to develop as a better target man for his team.

The 25 year old has become a key figure both for his country and his club sides. Robin has scored a few goals for the national team this yea, with the highlight being the classy finish in the 1-0 win over Guam. He was also signed by the Delhi Dynamos and he did well for the team scoring a few goals including one in the semi final.

Robin hails from a business family and the fact that he is making a name for himself by playing football corrects the misconception that the game in India is not played by the upper strata of the society.

#2 Sunil Chhetri

The Indian skipper had a decent 2015, but will hope for more success next year

It is really difficult to have a list such as this and not include Sunil Chhetri. The Indian captain has been the torchbearer of Indian football for quite some time now.

2015 was a good year for Sunil as well. He continued his good run with the national side, guided Bengaluru FC to a second place finish in the I-League and finally played in the Indian Super League. For the national team, he scored five goals in eleven appearances and will be keen to guide his country to the SAFF Cup title.

In the colours of Bengaluru FC, he was decent throughout the season but will be disappointed to have missed out on the league title by a whisker. However it was in the ISL that Chhetri showed his true class. He scored six goals for Mumbai City including a hattrick which was the first by an Indian in the competition. He lived up to the crore plus tag and justified it.

In 2016, Sunil will hope to fulfill all that he might have missed out on this time.

#1 Eugeneson Lyngdoh

Eugeneson Lyngdoh was voted the AIFF ‘Player of the Year’ by his peers

In a country where many youngsters have left the game they love in search of a humdrum and safe livelihood, Lyngdoh has been one to buck the trend. This midfielder from Shillong left his engineering course to follow his dreams and has certainly benefited from that decision.

In 2015, Lyngdoh became a key player for Bengaluru FC and his performances for the team earned him a call up to the national side. He made his debut in the game against Nepal and has since cemented his place in the national team. However the headline news of the year has to be the ISL auction where he was picked by Pune City for a whooping INR 1.05 crore. He was the first player in the auction to fetch such a huge amount and his performances in the competition showed why.

In his own words, Eugeneson has been living a dream. Many have described him as the next big thing in Indian football and on the basis of all that has happened this year, there is no way one can dispute that.

For his superlative efforts this year, Eugeneson Lyngdoh has been selected as Sportskeeda's Indian Footballer of the Year 2015.