The match starred sensational players like Jamie Vardy, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Busquets amongst others. But one particular 12-year-old’s eyes flickered on the two opposite ends of the pitch. He saw Spain custodian Pepe Reina on one side and England goalkeeper Joe Hart on the other. Was it surprising, though?

That boy was Abhinav Mulagada, a tall and burly goalkeeper who trained with some top clubs in London at that time. He was one of thousands sitting at Wembley that night, admiring everything he saw about the game he loved. How the same kid would go on to play in that very stadium is a story worth listening to.

Sportskeeda got an opportunity to have a chat with Hyderabad FC’s young goalkeeper Abhinav Mulagada. Playing for the Nizams’ reserve team now, the 17-year-old became the first local player to be signed by the club last year.

With experience of playing the game in England, Abhinav’s journey makes for an interesting story. He said:

The boy’s talent was spotted at an early age when he used to play with kids of his age in the parks. Speaking about how his journey as a footballer began, Abhinav said:

But Senrab FC is not your ordinary Sunday League club. Founded in 1961, the club have seen players make it big after going through their ranks. The likes of Sol Campbell, John Terry and Ledley King have played for them in the past. Abhinav recounted his experience of meeting Terry:

“I couldn’t believe it” - Abhinav Mulagada on joining Chelsea’s academy

Chelsea’s history with Sunday League club Senrab FC is well documented. In 1970s, several Senrab players went on to sign for Chelsea, which even prompted Ray Lewington to nickname the club “Chelsea Juniors”.

Seemingly, Senrab FC was the place where Abhinav Mulagada’s talent was noticed by the Blues. He explained:

Abhinav continued:

Many elite footballers have gone through the famed gates of the Cobham Training Center in Surrey, where both the Chelsea senior and junior ISL teams train. Considered to be one of the best academies in the world, players like Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour, Reece James and Mason Mount were once part of Chelsea’s youth

teams. Without a doubt, it was a big deal for our young goalkeeper to train in such hallowed grounds.

Speaking about his experience of meeting and watching some of the biggest stars of the footballing world train around them, Abhinav said:

After training with Chelsea for a few months, West Ham United came calling. It was with the Hammers that Abhinav got the opportunity to play in the prestigious Danone Cup, which was hosted at the iconic Wembley Stadium. He recollected:

Check out the ISL news here.

“There will be a day when I can reach the Hyderabad FC senior team” - Abhinav Mulagada

Abhinav’s time in England ended when his family returned to Hyderabad due to work. The boy feared that his football career might come to an end in India due to lack of opportunities.

Upon landing in India, however, he was pleasantly surprised with the state of football in the country. The ISL was all he knew, and he continued to pursue a career in the sport he loved growing up.

It was not completely smooth, though. Abhinav went from Navi Mumbai to Bellary to Kolkata, giving trials at multiple clubs and academies. He attracted interest from Bengaluru FC and ATK FC (before the merger). Ultimately, Kolkata’s charm convinced him to kickstart his career in India with ATK. He said in that regard:

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, put a stop to all footballing activities globally. For youth players of ATK, the merger with Mohun Bagan further impacted their career adversely. Abhinav explained:

For about a year, the goalkeeper was without a club due to the COVID-19 situation. That was when Hyderabad FC conducted trials in the city for their reserve team. An opportunity came up for Abhinav and he grabbed it with both hands. He explained:

Abhinav Mulagada has gained recognition, becoming the first local player to be signed by the club. Even though he is currently playing for the reserves, Abhinav is hopeful of breaking into Hyderabad FC’s first team setup soon. He said:

Abhinav has an ambition to play in Europe once again, this time at senior level. He knows it isn’t easy, giving the example of Sandesh Jhingan returning back to the country from Croatia. While foreign lands remain unchartered territory for most Indian footballers, the same cannot be said for Abhinav.

If there is something which his career path has taught us, it is that nothing is impossible when your feet are on the ground and head is in the clouds.

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