Subrata Paul

3.1. Mohun Bagan

Paul commenced his senior professional career with Mohun Bagan AC in 2004, having graduated from the Tata Football Academy. A pivotal and tragic event occurred during the Federation Cup final on December 5, 2004, against Dempo SC. In a collision with Dempo forward Cristiano Júnior, Júnior collapsed and subsequently lost his life. This incident profoundly impacted Indian football, drawing critical attention to the lack of adequate medical facilities and professionals during matches and leading to significant improvements and changes in safety standards within the I-League.

3.2. East Bengal

In 2007, Subrata Paul was signed by Mohun Bagan's local rivals, East Bengal FC. During his tenure with the Kolkata-based club, he became an instrumental player, particularly noted for his exceptional shot-stopping abilities. His performances were crucial during East Bengal's successful Federation Cup campaign in 2007, which ultimately secured the team's qualification for the 2008 AFC Cup. For his outstanding contributions, he was recognized as the I-League's best goalkeeper in 2007. Paul made 31 appearances in the league for East Bengal, serving as the team's primary goalkeeper.

3.3. Pune FC

Subrata Paul joined Pune FC on June 2, 2009. During the 2009-10 I-League season, he undertook a trial with the Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the summer of 2010. Paul openly expressed his aspiration to play in professional leagues abroad, specifically mentioning North America, Europe, and Asia. He indicated his willingness to join clubs in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, or even West Asian nations like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, stating that while Europe was the ideal destination, he was open to other opportunities. His contribution helped Pune FC secure a third-place finish in the I-League during the 2009-10 season.

3.4. Prayag United

On May 9, 2012, Paul signed with Prayag United SC, an I-League club. He made his debut for the club on October 7, 2012, in a match against Air India FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, which Prayag United won by a score of 5-1. Paul initially performed strongly in the 2011-12 I-League, impressing the new coach. However, his form subsequently declined. Following a defeat to I-League rival Sporting Clube de Goa on December 29, 2012, Prayag United went on to lose five and draw one of their subsequent seven matches. This dip in performance led to his coach replacing him with Sangram Mukherjee for the remainder of the league season.

3.5. Rangdajied United

Subrata Paul signed a contract with the Indian Super League (ISL) in anticipation of the league's inaugural season in 2014. However, his decision to join the ISL initially led to I-League clubs refusing to sign him, as they generally opposed the new league. Despite this initial resistance, on November 20, 2013, Rangdajied United FC of the I-League agreed to sign Paul on loan, along with fellow ISL-contracted players Gouramangi Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Manandeep Singh, and Tomba Singh. Paul made his I-League debut for Rangdajied United on November 22, 2013, against Shillong Lajong FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, playing the entire match in a 1-1 draw.

3.6. FC Vestsjælland

On January 9, 2014, it was officially confirmed that Paul had signed with FC Vestsjælland of the Danish Superliga on a loan deal. This transfer marked a significant milestone, as he became the fourth Indian footballer to play professionally abroad, the second to join a top-tier European club, and the first Indian goalkeeper to play professionally outside of India. While he was a member of the squad, Paul did not make any appearances for the first team, instead primarily playing with the reserve squad during his loan period.

3.7. Mumbai City FC

During the 2014 inaugural season of the Indian Super League, Subrata Paul was drafted by Mumbai City FC. He served as the first-choice goalkeeper for the team until 2015, making 26 appearances in the league format. Although Paul's individual performances were notable, they were not sufficient to help Mumbai City FC advance to the semi-finals of the competition.

3.8. Salgaocar

Subrata Paul joined Salgaocar SC of the I-League on loan from Mumbai City FC for the 2014-15 season. This move was prompted by an injury to fellow Indian international Karanjit Singh, Salgaocar's regular goalkeeper, who was expected to miss most of the season.

3.9. DSK Shivajians

Following his stint with NorthEast United FC during the 2016 Indian Super League season, Subrata Paul was loaned to I-League side DSK Shivajians FC on December 15, 2016. During his time there, he made several appearances and played a key role for the team.

3.10. Jamshedpur FC

On July 23, 2017, Paul was selected by Jamshedpur FC in the second round of the 2017-18 ISL Players Draft for the upcoming 2017-18 Indian Super League season. He made his debut for the club in their inaugural match on November 18, 2017, against his former team, NorthEast United FC. Paul played the entire match, securing a clean sheet in Jamshedpur's 0-0 draw. At the conclusion of the season, Paul was awarded the prestigious Indian Super League Golden Glove Award for his outstanding goalkeeping. A month later, it was announced that Jamshedpur FC had retained Paul for the 2018-19 season.

3.11. Later Career

After departing from Jamshedpur FC in 2019, Subrata Paul joined Hyderabad FC in 2020. He made six appearances for Hyderabad, keeping two clean sheets, before being loaned out to East Bengal FC. Following this, in January 2022, he was signed by Mohun Bagan SG on a loan deal for the remainder of their season. After not playing professionally for more than a year, Paul officially announced his retirement from professional football on December 8, 2023, at the age of 36, concluding a distinguished playing career.

4.1. Youth and Early Senior Appearances

Paul rose to prominence early in his career with the Under-23 team. During the Pre-Olympic qualifiers, he made three crucial saves in a penalty shootout against Myanmar, which enabled India to qualify for the group stage. In the subsequent group stages, his goalkeeping prowess contributed to an unexpected draw against the formidable Iraq at home. In 2007, he took over as the Indian Senior Team's number one goalkeeper from Sandip Nandy for the 2007 Nehru Cup. In this tournament, he was recognized as the best goalkeeper among a competitive field that included renowned players like Mosab Balhous. His sharp goalkeeping was particularly noted in the semi-finals against Kyrgyzstan, allowing India to reach the Nehru Cup final for the first time. In the final, India faced Syria, a team they had previously lost to in the group stage. Paul's exceptional performance saw him "stave off wave after wave of attack" from the Syrian team. India ultimately defeated Syria 1-0 to win the tournament. Coach Bob Houghton praised Paul, stating he was "splendid in goal," while The Hindu newspaper commended his "impeccable performance under the bar," highlighting his anticipation in cutting off Syria's aerial forays as the most striking feature of the match.

4.2. AFC Challenge Cup 2008

Subrata Paul was an integral part of the victorious India national football team that won the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. His critical saves, particularly in the finals, played a pivotal role in India securing qualification for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, marking the first time the country had qualified for the prestigious continental tournament in 24 years.

4.3. Nehru Cup 2009

Paul was once again a key member of the victorious India national football team in the 2009 Nehru Cup. He was involved in three spectacular saves during the tournament, which were instrumental in returning the Cup to India's hands. In the final match, his decisive goalkeeping, including stopping the deciding penalty shot, helped India secure a 5-3 victory in the penalty shootout, clinching the Nehru Cup.

4.4. AFC Asian Cup 2011

Paul served as the primary goalkeeper for the Indian football team during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Throughout the tournament, he made over 35 saves, including 16 "super saves," emerging as one of the team's standout players. Following India's match against South Korea, he garnered significant media attention, with leading newspapers and outlets bestowing upon him the popular nickname 'Spiderman' and featuring headlines like "Indian team GK, 16 times super-save! Who is this guy?" In response to this widespread praise, Paul humbly remarked, "I am not a spiderman, just a novice learning my goalkeeping. I am happy that I have made those saves and done something for the team and country." The Times of India also lauded Paul as the best Indian performer at the Asian Cup in Doha, asserting that without his heroic efforts, India would have suffered significantly larger defeat margins in all three of their group stage matches.

4.5. World Cup Qualifiers

Subrata Paul was the first-choice goalkeeper for India in their World Cup Qualifier match against the UAE. He also captained the side in a warm-up practice match for this fixture, which India won 2-1 against Qatar. However, he could not replicate his previous heroics against the UAE, as he was sent off within the first 30 minutes, leaving India reduced to nine men. India ultimately lost that game 3-0 due to two penalties, and consequently lost the tie by an aggregate score of 4-2.

On March 11, 2015, Paul was named captain of the India national football team by coach Stephen Constantine for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Under his leadership, the team advanced to the second round of qualification after defeating Nepal by an aggregate score of 2-0 in the first round.

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics

7.1. Team Honours

• AFC Challenge Cup: 2008
• SAFF Championship: 2015; runner-up: 2008, 2013
• Nehru Cup: 2007, 2009, 2012
• Tri-Nation Series: 2017

7.2. Individual Honours

• Arjuna Award: 2016
• East Bengal "Player of the Season Award": 2008
• Indian Super League Golden Glove Award: 2017-18
• Nominated for Times of India Sports Awards: 2015 (alongside Sunil Chhetri, Syed Rahim Nabi, Bala Devi, and others).