Bhutan's Ronaldo Enthralled by Modrić
Chencho Gyeltshen, captain and top scorer of Bhutan, speaks to Novi list about his career, inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo, and admiration for Luka Modrić and the Croatian national team.
Chencho Gyeltshen, captain and top scorer of Bhutan, speaks to Novi list about his career, inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo, and admiration for Luka Modrić and the Croatian national team.
In a world dominated by footballing giants, the story of Chencho Gyeltshen, known as "CG7" or "Bhutan's Ronaldo," seems almost surreal. The 30-year-old striker is the first fully professional footballer in the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a country of around 800,000 people nestled in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas, whose national team currently sits at 192nd in the FIFA rankings. In an interview with Novi list, Gyeltshen revealed that it was a Croatian who left him in awe.
Gyeltshen's path to professional football was anything but conventional. As a boy, he didn't dream of goals and balls; instead, he trained in taekwondo. Everything changed when, at around ten years old, he saw Cristiano Ronaldo in a Manchester United shirt on television.
"My football story began when I was very young. Actually, football wasn't my first sport initially, I started with taekwondo. But when I was about ten and watched Cristiano Ronaldo play for Manchester United, my whole perspective on football shifted. I was inspired by his mentality, work ethic, and the way he played," Gyeltshen recalled for Novi list. He added that Ronaldo has always been a huge inspiration and one of the main reasons he chose football as a profession.
Throughout his career, Gyeltshen has played for no fewer than 16 clubs in six different countries, Bhutan, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Nepal. Each new transfer, he says, pushed him out of his comfort zone and helped him grow both as a player and as a person. Still, a special place in his heart is reserved for his time at Indian club Minerva Punjab.
"Winning the I-League in the 2017/18 season, with seven goals and seven assists, was a huge achievement for me. On top of that, in 2018 I also won the I-League's Best Player award, the Golden Ball, so that period was personally one of the best of my career," he highlighted.
As captain of the national team, Gyeltshen is witnessing the changes taking place in Bhutanese football. He is aware that his country is traditionally one of the smaller footballing nations, but he also sees significant progress.
"Today's players have much more experience, especially because they get to play more international matches and compete at a higher level. The mentality has improved too. The younger generation is more confident and technically better prepared," he said. His on-field philosophy is simple: respect your opponent, but don't fear them. "When you play for Bhutan, you have to believe you can handle any opponent," he asserted.
When asked about the Croatian national team, Gyeltshen didn't hold back in his praise. He specifically highlighted Luka Modrić, whom he considers a role model and proof that small nations can produce world-class players.
"For me, he's one of the best midfielders of his generation. His technical ability, vision, intelligence, and consistency are incredible. But what I admire most are his mentality and longevity. He's managed to play at the highest level for so many years, and that's something every young footballer can learn a lot from," he emphasized.
Croatia's success, winning medals at World Cups despite a relatively small population, means much more to Gyeltshen than just a sports story. "If a country like Croatia can reach the biggest stages in the world and compete on equal footing with the best, then countries like Bhutan have every reason to dream of it too," concluded the Bhutanese captain.
