Indian football team defender Sandesh Jhingan, recalling his fanboy moment of meeting former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia for the first time, said after a handshake with Bhutia he felt like he's "never going to wash" his hand.
"When I was 15 we played a tournament in Goa. That's where I got to shake hands with Bhaichung bhai. I was like, 'I am never going to wash my hand'," Jhingan recalled in an episode of Let's Football Live on Youtube.
In fact, it was with Bhutia's United Sikkim Football Club that Jhingan first made his debut for the I-League in 2012, and he just can't forget training and playing alongside Bhutia and Renedy Singh -- another former Blue Tigers skipper.
"It was like a dream. These guys were my phone's wallpapers! Till the other day, I was idolising them, watching them play. And then at USFC, I got to play with them," he smiled.
"I was thrilled when I succeeded in the trials with United Sikkim FC. When I finally signed the contract papers it was just an amazing feeling," Jhingan added.
The 26-year-old is a vital member of the Indian side and is grateful to Bhutia for giving him the opportunity to showcase his talent and learn a lot from the veteran by training with him.
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Jhingan also paid rich tribute to Renedy highlighting the latter's impact on his career and how the former midfielder helped Jhingan get a "great start."
"Seeing Renedy bhai score those trademark free-kicks for fun in training was just incredible. He helped me a lot at the time and that added to my confidence. He would come to me often after training and motivate me," Jhingan said.
"Today if God asks me whether I want to change anything about the start of my career, I would not change a single thing," the defender added.
Currently, the defender is recovering from an injury and is at his home in Chandigarh, due to the nation-wide lockdown imposed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"My rehabilitation period is on and I was originally supposed to join the team in March. I have a program in place -- I do leg strengthening and balancing exercises, along with cardio to keep my endurance up and stay fit," Jhingan mentioned.
"Rest of the day, I do household things such as washing utensils, reading books, writing and social media. It's great to spend time with my family, speaking to my parents and reminiscing about childhood days with my brothers," he added.