Veteran Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul announces retirement from professional football

Legendary Indian football player Subrata Paul announced his retirement on Friday, after an incredible career. Known for his remarkable goalkeeping abilities, the 37-year-old left a lasting impression on the Indian football scene with his 67 appearances for the national side, winning awards like the Arjuna Award.

3 things you need to know 

• Subrata Paul made his debut for India in 2007 
• Subrata Paul announced his retirement from professional football
• Paul is known as the ‘Spiderman of India’ 

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Subrata Paul is one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Indian football

1986 saw the birth of Subrata Paul in Sodepur, West Bengal. Born out of the Tata Football Academy, Subrata became a mainstay under head coach Stephen Constantine's tutelage as he rose to fame. Adored as 'Spiderman' due to his valiant performances at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar twelve years prior, he distinguished himself despite India encountering formidable obstacles in the group phase, including Australia, Bahrain, and South Korea. Among Subrata's notable accomplishments was his outstanding 16 saves in a single game versus South Korea, which featured a teenage Son Heung-Min.

In a video posted on social media, the Indian Football Team honoured Subrata's career by reliving some of his incredible saves.

Subrata started his professional career at Mohun Bagan and eventually played for rival club East Bengal during the course of an almost two-decade career. Though it was difficult for him to get into the starting lineup, in 2014 he created history by signing with FC Vestsjaelland, a European team, as the first custodian from India.

Subrata played an important role in the Indian team's triumph in a number of competitions, such as the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, the 2016 SAFF Suzuki Cup, and the 2017 Tri-Nations Cup. In 2016, he became the 24th football player to earn the renowned Arjuna Award in recognition of his services.

Subrata showed off his skills in the Indian Super League (ISL) during his time at Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC. He further cemented his status in Indian football by winning the coveted Golden Glove Award (best keeper) for the 2017–18 season owing to his outstanding play with Jamshedpur FC.