Watch | Mehtab Hossain on Sunil Chhetri: His records will stand for at least the next ten years

Former Indian footballer Mehtab Hossain was in attendance for Sunil Chhetri’s farewell match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. He praised his former teammate and said that Chhetri stood apart from the rest because he realised early on what it takes to be a professional footballer.

“Chhetri realised early what it takes to be a professional footballer that we couldn’t in our time. When he went abroad and spent time there he saw what it takes to be a professional player there. He learnt how to be a professional of the sport. That’s what helped him to carry on for 19 years and made him different from others”, Hossain told PTI ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier between India and Kuwait.