Indian national team midfielder Danish Farooq was delighted to make his debut for the national team against Bahrain in a friendly clash. Although India lost the match 2-1, Farooq had a really good performance in the middle of the park alongside Pronay Halder.
The midfielder from Kashmir featured in 17 matches for Bengaluru FC and was one of th most consistent players to play under head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli. Farooq cemented his place in the starting eleven with aplomb as he delivered some exceptional performances and was among the highlights for the Blues alongside Naorem Roshan Singh in a season where Bengaluru FC once again failed to get into the playoffs.
Indian team hed coach Igor Stimac summoned the midfielder for his consistent performances. He impressed the Croatian tactician at the national camp and made it to the final squad that travelled to Bahrain for the two friendlies.
“Dreams do come true. It has been an emotional few months but last night was something truly special. Honoured beyond belief to represent the country and stand alongside some of the best players of the land. Would never have been possible without the support of my family, friends, coaches, fellow players and most importantly the fans,” stated Farooq, in his Instagram post.
It has been a tough journey for the Kashmiri midfielder who started his career for Lonestar Kashmir. He made a name for himself there before moving to city rivals, Real Kashmir. He featured as a forward for the Snow Leopards and did really well to guide the team from the I-League 2nd Division to the I-League and even remained consistent in his debut season in the I-League under David Robertson’s tutelage.
Farooq gradually shifted his position from being a forward to a midfielder and kept on impressing clubs with his performances for Real Kashmir in the I-League. He attracted a lot of interest from many Indian Super League clubs but he chose Bengaluru FC for their track record of handing youngsters with opportunities to prove themselves. Looking back at the decision it feels that he made the right choice.
Farooq featured 79 minutes in the game against Bahrain as he was then substituted by Mohammed Yasir. In the Belarus game, he was introduced late in the game.
Apart from the former Real Kashmir player, Stimac also handed maiden caps to players like VP Suhair, Roshan Singh, Aniket Jadhav and Anwar Ali.
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