Will retire when India would've a better number-10: Sunil Chhetri
Veteran Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri has dismissed suggestions of his retirement. The ace striker was asked about his retirement plans after India's exit from the AFC Asian Cup 2019. Notably, coach Stephen Constantine stepped down after India lost to Bahrain in their last group encounter. Here is what Chhetri had to say.
Chhetri said, "One day there will be a number 10 who will be better than me. Till then, I think I can contribute. I know I don't have a lot of years...so every game I play, I really want to give it everything."
India won their opening match against Thailand in the AFC Asian Cup. They then lost to UAE and Bahrain. Looking back at India's performances, Chhetri was happy with the progress made by the Blue Tigers. "UAE, Thailand, Bahrain are not small teams. We showed UAE and Thailand what we are capable of. To me, that means improvement," said the ace striker.
Chhetri recently equaled Bhaichung Bhutia for the most appearances for India in international football (107). The in-form striker has bagged a total of 67 goals, the most for India. The 35-year-old will now be seen in the second half of 2018-19 Indian Super League.
