'Never lose sight of your dreams' - Sandesh Jhingan opens up on his footballing journey | OneFootball

India men's national team star defender, Sandesh Jhingan has opened up on his journey from being a street footballer to arguably the Blue Tigers' best defender at present - revealing that one should "never lose sight of your dream".

Jhingan who was rejected by many second and third division clubs in Kolkata at the start of his career, got a break when United Sikkim signed him in 2011 and since then he hasn't looked back.

While Indian Super League (ISL) side, Kerala Blasters FC did sign him in 2014, he was sent on a series of loans to other clubs, something which he believes gave him the required experience to become the star he is today.

"The best period of my life which turned me from Sandy to Sandesh Jhingan. I would call those three years, which from outside you say were the worst period of your life basically. That is where I felt I went so down in the dark than when I came out, I was reborn. So those three years of I don't like to call it a failure or rejections or injuries or this and that I like to call it three years of the extreme learning process," he said in an interview.

"Never lose sight of that dream, whatever happens, happens for a reason…you’ll face a thousand setbacks. If you want something so strongly, so badly, then nothing else seems big to you. You’re just so much into that dream. It has helped me having that mindset through football, which I learnt: If you want to become a national level player, represent your country, just focus," the defender added.

The 28-year-old has established himself as a key part for both club and country during his career and has won a host of individual honours which include the 2020/21 AIFF Player of the Year award and the 2020 Arjuna Award.