5 records broken by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu during his time in Europe with Stabaek
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, India's number one goalkeeper, has left Norwegian top-flight outfit Stabaek and is heading home to India. His stint in Europe wasn't the first time an Indian footballer plied his trade abroad, but the 6ft 4in stopper still broke quite a few records along the way.
The 25-year-old is poised to play in the Indian Super League for the first time in his career, as a move to Bengaluru FC has been all but confirmed by the player himself.
That said, Gurpreet leaves behind an important legacy at Stabaek, having been the first Indian to play in the club's colours. Here are the five records Gurpreet set during his time at Stabaek.
#1 First Indian to start a top division league in Europe
While Mohammed Salim was the first Indian to turn out for a European club at Celtic in 1936, Gurpreet's time at Stabaek saw him earn the record of being the first Indian player to play in a top division league in Europe.
The Norwegian Eliteserien has been dominated by the likes of Rosenborg and Molde, and Stabaek last won the title back in 2008. Gurpreet made only three Eliteserien appearances in three years at Stabaek, but that was enough for him to enter the history books.