A Tale Of Mohammed Salim: The 'Barefooted' Indian Who Made A Mark In Europe

The article throws light on the story of Mohammed Salim, the first Asian footballer to play in Europe.

Despite having a population of 1.5 Billion, India have seen only a few footballers making their journey to Europe to play professional football league in the country. More than 30 players have travelled to Europe in the entire history of Indian football and most of them have tried their luck in the lower tiers. 26 years ago, Baichung Bhutia became the first Indian footballer to sign a deal with a professional club in Europe when he inked an agreement with Bury FC in the English second division.

It was a huge boost for Indian football and Bhutia caused great pride in the country. However, he played only 46 fixtures in northwest England before returning back to his homeland. But, contrary to the common belief, he was not the first Indian to play for a European club.

Barefoot footballer who made waves in Indian football

Born in 1904 in Kolkata, Salim started as a pharmacist but he was drawn to football which was his real love eventually. At the age of 22, he started his footballing career at the Chittaranjan Football Club and appeared his stint at Mohammedan Sporting Club, Sporting Union, East Bengal Club and Aryans Club. On his return to Mohammedan Sporting Club in 1934, he played a key role in helping the team script a title run in the Calcutta Football Leagues five times in a row.

Saleem’s entry in the Scottish Club

Post Mohammedan’s third title victory in 1936, the Indian footballer was selected to be a part of the Indian team who played two exhibition matches against the Chinese Olympic side. He was praised by his rivals for his impressive juggling skills in the match.

Salim’s brother Hashim was a shopkeeper in the Scotstoun west of Glasgow and arrived in Calcutta for a holiday after watching his sibling play against the Chinese side. He convinced Saleem to return to Scotland with him and give a trial at Celtic FC.

After coming back to Scotland, Hashim convinced Celtic manager Willie Maley to give Saleem a trial. The team management was impressed by Salim’s trial and they asked for permission from the Scottish Football Association to allow him to play barefoot in the league. Also, there is an iconic image where assistant manager Jimmy McMenemy carefully wrapped Saleem’s feet.

Saleem’s tenure at Celtic

Saleem played his first fixture at the club against Galston in an Alliance League game on August 28, 1936, at Celtic Park. Saleem showcased his wizardry while playing in the right wing and helped the team secure a 7-1 win with three assists. Two weeks after his debut, the Indian footballer scored a penalty while playing a crucial role in a 5-1 win in front of a crowd of 5,000 people.

A tragic end to a stint with Celtic

The club management was extremely impressed with the kind of skill Saleem showed on the field. They also offered him 5 per cent of future gate receipts. Manager Maley was having plans to develop him as a player and sign a deal with him for the 1936-37 season. However, Saleem felt homesick and decided to return to their home country after playing a couple of fixtures. After returning back, he won two more titles with Mohamedan Sporting club in 1937 and 1938.