Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu heads to EPL's Wigan Athletic for trial!

Further positive trial news for Indian football! India Under-22 and East Bengal Club goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is heading for England on Wednesday for a trial-cum-training stint with Premiership side Wigan Athletic. Gurpreet will not qualify for a work permit as per UK work permit rules, then a player needs to have played 75% of international matches for his country in the 12 previous months and the country needs to be Top 75 in the FIFA world rankings. But if Gurpreet can prove himself to the Wigan coaching staff then they could sign him and loan him to a feeder club in Europe on the continent.

The trial has been made possible by former English goalkeeper and Ten Sports pundit John 'Budgie' Burridge, who saw Gurpreet at a Team India training camp in Dubai, saw the talent besides having the physic and build which he thinks can make him a Premeirship goalkeeper and since then has remained in touch with the boy from Mohali in Punjab.

Budgie was the man who 'discovered' Oman international goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, made him a complete Premiership goalkeeper, who has played for Bolton Wanderers and is now with Wigan Athletic.

Since the first contact Budgie has maintained communication with Gurpreet and has given the young keeper advice whenever possible. With TenAction+ showing the I-League matches last season it also enabled Budgie to watch his ward in action and he also travelled to Oman to watch the AFC Under-22 Championship qualifiers in which Gurpreet played a stellar role not only as goalkeeper but also as stand-in captain for Jeje Lalpekhlua.

The 6ft5in (1,95 m) tall goalkeeper started his football with the St. Stephen's Academy in Chandigarh and went through all the India Junior national teams before East Bengal picked him up in 2009. After season with the juniors of the red-and-gold he joined their senior team, but then after a year left for the Indian Arrows. There he established himself as an I-League player and then returned to East Bengal to share the no.1 spot with seasoned Sandip Nandy.