An inspiring performance in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, a deserved trial call-up from Motherwell FC - a Scottish Premiership Club and a well-earned contract from Kerala Blasters FC, all by the age of 18. Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem’s natural talent has been one of his biggest assets, while his calm demeanour and a reassuring confidence on the pitch a plus point for every team he has played for.

The 2018-19 season will see Dheeraj plying his trade in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) for the first time in his career, after spending a fruitful season as a part of All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) youth developmental programme Indian Arrows in Hero I-League 2017-18. With the upcoming season slated to begin in a few days, Kerala’s Number 1 sat down with www.indiansuperleague.com for an exclusive interview.

For a youngster to have paved such a path so early in life, Dheeraj spoke about the challenges he faced as a child and how he ensured his dream never died down. “I was born in a small town in Manipur called Moirang,” he began. “Since I was a small kid I loved playing not only football but many other sports. At the beginning of my career, I didn’t get much support from my parents. My parents wanted me to study as most Indian parents are taught that sports in India have no career. When I was small I was enrolled in the hostel of a residential school, where I used to play all kinds of sports. There is one club in our locality called AMOFA that conducted a coaching session every Sunday by a local coach called Surendar. So I started attending the coaching and since then, I started playing football.”

Training with one of the best clubs in Scotland and thereafter, an English Premier League side is no mean feat, but Dheeraj has achieved both. First Motherwell FC called him for a trial and later Bournemouth allowed him to train with them. Speaking about these experiences, the 18-year-old said, “It was a great opportunity for me. I had a great time and it was a pleasure to be there for three months. I trained with Motherwell, on trial over there, and two weeks at Bournemouth. It was a real challenge for me. It allows you to know about the football in the United Kingdom, especially in the Premier League, where there are better sides compared to other football leagues. So I learned a lot from there and look forward to learning more in the future.”

Dheeraj also threw light on why he decided to join the Blasters and what reaffirmed the belief in his decision. “After Indian Arrows, I went on trial to Motherwell and even got a three-year contract, but I was not able to make it because I had problems with my working visa. So I had to come back to India and finally, have decided to join Kerala Blasters because David James is there. I thought it would be the right decision for me to train under him as he’s been such a great goalkeeper in his career. That's the reason I chose Kerala Blasters,” he shared.

When asked how he is looking forward to his first taste of Hero ISL football and the expectations football fans had of him post his World Cup performance, he said, “I am very excited. It is a big opportunity and a big challenge for me to play in the higher division in India. It is going to be great for me and a good learning experience. it should be a good start for me in my career.”

He further continued, “What's in the past does not count as much. As athletes, we need to keep on performing individually and collectively as a team. It was a great learning process for me - playing and gaining experience in the World Cup, so I hope to keep up the same momentum in the future and become a better player.”

Kerala Blasters will be facing ATK in the season opener away at Kolkata on September 29, where it is yet to be seen if head coach David James fields Dheeraj in the starting line-up. Whatever may be the decision, Dheeraj’s untapped talent may soon become one of Kerala’s greatest asset over the season. 

Here’s his full interview: