New Delhi, Dec 15 Indian football defender Adil Khan has heaped praise on goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, saying the 28-year-old will be one of the best goalkeepers the country will see in the coming years.
During an interview on AIFF TV, he also spoke about the calming presence that Gurpreet brings to the Indian goal post.
"To have him in the team it's a security and you know if you make any mistakes, he is there to cover-up. We have seen the best performance from him against Qatar. His attitude and positivity was amazing. He will be one of the best goalkeepers that India will see in the coming years," said Adil.
Adil felt that he was lucky to have the likes of Gurpreet and Sandesh Jhingan to aid him form the defensive trio that played brilliantly in the historic 0-0 draw at the home of the Asian Champions, Qatar last year.
"I am lucky to have such team-mates in the national team. Unfortunately, we can't play in an ISL team together but in the national team, we make a great defensive wall for India," said Adil.
Speaking about the bond he shares with his centre-back partner Sandesh, the defender from Goa said, "In the national team, we started training together and that's when we started building our bond to know each other well. He is very loud. He guides all the players, and me being senior, I still give him the opportunity to talk because he is louder than me and he guides well.
"I also know how powerful and strong he is. Whenever I make mistakes I know he is there to cover up and I think it's the same for him. We try to talk a lot, not only when we are playing matches but also afterwards when we are in the canteen or dining room, that's how we build the bond. I would like to play more matches with him. I feel more secured while he's around as a central defender. Looking forward to a lot many clean sheets when Gurpreet and Sandesh are there," the 32-year-old added.
( With inputs from IANS )
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