4. Vikram Pratap Singh (Mumbai City FC)
The shortage in players who can replace the living legend Sunil Chhetri as a forward worries every Indian football fan. But now, the Indian Football has some young talented players that excite everyone and give them hope that someone can step up and take the baton from the captain, leader, legend. The talented 18-year-old Chandigarh lad is known for his excellent 2 seasons with the Indian Arrows, where he made 27 appearances and was able to add 5 goals to his name which also includes a match-winner during injury time against East Bengal.
Vikram’s combination with fellow attack-minded player like Rohit Danu worked well as both of them earned ISL contracts for Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC respectively. Vikram’s uncle dreamt to make his nephew a well-renowned footballer and he knew the best academy in the territory to train his beloved nephew was none other than Chandigarh Football Academy. He enjoyed a short stint with Minerva where he played U15 I-league once for them.
From CFA, he played against the U17 World Cup team in Goa. Unfortunately, he was not able to make it to the U17 World Cup side that time but that slight setback didn’t stop Vikram from making it to the India team. He was an integral part of the U16 Indian team that fell just one step short of qualifying for the 2019 U17 FIFA World Cup.
Vikram scored a penalty in the first match of the tournament and as a result India was able to beat a strong Vietnam side and eventually qualified for the knockout stages. Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals of the tournament, South Korea edged past India in a tensed match. Vikram’s career has only started and he can achieve beyond the limits if he keeps on improving his game. Let’s hope he proves himself in the City Football Group owned Mumbai City FC and acts as a reason for the impetus for new kids who want to make a career in Indian football.