Subrata Paul, one of India's finest goalkeepers, has decided to bring the curtains down on a glittering career spanning 16 years.
Paul, 37, sent a letter to the All India Football Federation on Friday announcing his retirement.
"I am filled with a mixture of emotions. There's a sense of accomplishment for the journey I've been on, coupled with a touch of sadness at leaving the beautiful game behind,” Paul told the-aiff.com. “But more than anything, there's an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the incredible opportunities and experiences football has given me.”
Paul has an incredible 67 international caps to his name, keeping 19 clean sheets, the first of which was earned on his international debut against Cambodia in the 2007 Nehru Cup in New Delhi.
The former India captain's illustrious career contains three Nehru Cups, one AFC Challenge Cup, and one Tri-Nation Cup trophy.
His greatest time on the pitch arguably came in 2011, when, despite not too favourable results, Paul came onto his own, making an array of acrobatic saves, putting his own body in dangerous situations.
It was after his performance against Australia, Bahrain (2-5), and Korea Republic (1-4), that Paul was nicknamed the “Spiderman of India”.
