Dutch club NEC Nijmegen signs Delhi boy Kshitij Singh for U-15 squad

Courtesy: Twitter

New Delhi: Kshitij Kumar Singh, a 13-year-old Delhi boy joined the Holland based NEC Nijmegen club.

The club competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie and Kshitij will join its Under-15 youth squad, which feature at the highest level in Dutch Youth Leagues and compete against top European clubs in international tournaments.

Kshitij, a second year batch student of Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) residential football program, had been to the Netherlands for two rounds of trials with PSV Eindhoven and NEC Nijmegen earlier this year before his selection in the NEC youth team.

After his selection Kshitij said, "I’m very excited to join NEC Youth team. I want to thank all my coaches and fellow players at RF Young Champs who have motivated me to perform better continuously. I want to thank Mrs. Ambani especially for all her support, and for providing me the opportunity and belief to be the best. I would love to play for the Indian National Team in the future."

Kshitij started playing football at the age of 6 in the Bhaichung Bhutia Academy and then at FCB Escola. The forward was an early talent to be spotted by Piet Hubers, Technical Director of ISL Grassroots at the Delhi Dynamos Scouting Festival for RFYC scholarship in 2016.

Since last June with RFYC, Kshitij has participated in 29 competitive and friendly games, scoring 31 goals and provided 25 assists.

Reliance Founder Chairperson Nita Ambani was esctatic about Kshitij's selection and said, "We are extremely proud of the progress made by the 48 champions. Children like Kshitij Kumar are the future of Indian football. He is dedicated and disciplined at this young age which makes him a force to reckon with on the ground. We are sure he will pave a way for more scouting from foreign countries in India as well as increase the belief among players here to play in the best leagues in the World."