PANAJI
A robust 23-year-old Albino Gomes after his brilliant showing under the horizontal during the previous I-League for eventual champions, Aizawl FC, has raised his stocks by a few notches.
So much so that the Nuvem-based footballer is said to have evinced a keen eye by the FC Goa management as a more than adept reserve goal-keeper once the ISL Draft happens today.
Pegged as the third priciest goal-keeper in the Draft at Rs 50 lakh, Gomes has done enough in the recent past to command such high stakes. While his chances at being picked are pretty much a formality, his preference for a franchisee is a foregone conclusion.
"I would like to play for FC Goa but I should get playing time in suffice too. Since I am from Goa, I would like to play for the home Club," he concurs. That said while acknowledging the fact, that Vasco-based goal-keeper, Laxmikant Kattimani who is among the two players retained by FC Goa has been with the Club from its inception and has emerged as their first choice goal-keeper in due passage of time. If picked by FC Goa, he says it will be competitive to fight for the big gloves. "Kattimani is a good goal-keeper and I have practiced with him at the Senior National Camp in Delhi ahead of the Bhutan tour. He is quite an experienced guy and has always been willing to guide me, in the camp or when I call him to correct my mistakes," he talks of his professional equation with the senior custodian. He also concedes if chosen a back-up goal-keeper in the FC Goa squad, he will ensure that the first-choice is made to step up the plate even further.
Albino started playing football for his school, Fr Agnel's, Verna while in his early teens. He also was part of the Goa U-13 side that went to Chennai. There was a tie-breaker tournament there for the goal-keepers where he finished second. Due to which, he got a call to be among the India U-13 probables but did not make the final cut. Though he was part of Goa U-15s, he missed out on the tour to Portugal. Undeterred by these setbacks, he worked hard on his game, to get selected to represent the State at the U-16, U-17, U-19. He was also part of the India U-16, U-19 squads and featured in two matches for India U-16.
In 2012, he joined the senior team of Salgaocar FC and stayed with the outfit for four seasons. Thereon in 2015, for the second ISL he was picked by Mumbai City FC and was retained for the side for the following year. In the second year with the IPL side, he got more playing time featuring in four matches while keeping two clean sheets and conceding two goals. He remembers fondly winning the Swift Moment of the Match in an away game against NorthEast United. After which, he was loaned out to Aizawl FC, a debutant in the I-League which went all the way to win the title. "I won a Man of the Match award against Bengaluru FC at our home ground, Aizawl. In the match, I saved a penalty kick, of one of India's biggest stars, Sunil Chhetri," he proudly stated.
"Playing for Aizawl FC was a stepping stone in my career. Making my I-League debut with the side and winning the title with them was a good experience with the season going well for me too. Hopefully, it will help further my credentials in the future."
