Indian goalie Dheeraj Singh ready to go for FIFA U-17 World Cup

Goalkeepers are the last line of defence and possibly one of the most important elements in the game of football. Indian U-17's goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh admits that a goalkeeper's job is of "staying in the moment" and believes that it takes one moment for a custodian to become a hero.

Defining his style of goalkeeping, Dheeraj said that he tries to keep balance between aggressive goalkeeping and composed goalkeeping.

"I like to keep a balance between aggressive goalkeeping where I dominate the box and composed goalkeeping. You have to pick your moments and chose what type of goalkeeping will suit the moment. Sometimes the aggressive goalkeeping can lead to difficulties and even conceding a goal where composed goalkeeping could have worked and vice versa. For a goalkeeper, both ways of goalkeeping are important," he said.

Dheeraj also insisted that goalkeepers are the last barrier in scoring a goal and, therefore, it makes their job tougher.

"Staying in the moment is the job of a goalkeeper and a slight lack of focus or concentration can easily lead to a goal. Goalkeepers are the last barriers and it makes the job all the more tough when there is a pressure of performing in every single game associated with it,' Dheeraj said.

With just three days left for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to kick-off, Dheeraj said that he is really excited to be a part of the first Indian team to feature in the tournament.

"Yes! Very much, all my days of sacrifice and hard work will be rewarded and I am very much excited to be a part of the first Indian team to feature in a FIFA World Cup," he said.

He further said that he is absolutely up for the challenge and is looking forward to become the hardest barrier for his side's opponent.

"It is a challenge that I am prepared for. We respect our opponents but as a goalkeeper it is my job to be the hardest barrier they face and I will try to be the hardest barrier that they will ever face in scoring a goal," Dheeraj said.

India, who is hosting FIFA World Cup U-17 for the first time, is in Group A with USA, Colombia and Ghana.

And, incidentally Colombia, the first team to arrive in the nation for the FIFA World Cup, are practising at the same training ground as India.

The Indian Colts face USA on 6 October, before locking horns with Colombia and Ghana on 9 October and 12 October respectively at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

-ANI