{{Short description|Indian footballer}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gurjinder Kumar | image = | image_size = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1990|10|10}} | birth_place = Nawanshahr, Punjab, India | height = {{height|m=1.78}} | position = Left back | currentclub = Malappuram FC | clubnumber = 3 | youthyears1 = 2001–2007 | youthclubs1 = Chandigarh FA | youthyears2 = 2007–2010 | youthclubs2 = Tata FA | years1 = 2010–2014 | clubs1 = Pune | caps1 = 84 | goals1 = 5 | years2 = 2014–2016 | clubs2 = Salgaocar | caps2 = 29 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2015 | clubs3 = → Pune City (loan) | caps3 = 4 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2017 | clubs4 = Minerva Punjab | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2017–2020 | clubs5 = Mohun Bagan | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2020–2023 | clubs6 = NorthEast United | caps6 = 45 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2024- | clubs7 = Malappuram FC | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2011 | nationalteam1 = India U23 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2012–2013 | nationalteam2 = India | nationalcaps2 = 5 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | ntupdate = | club-update = 19:28, 4 February 2023 (UTC) }}
'''Gurjinder Kumar''' ({{langx|pa|ਗੁਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਕੁਮਾਰ}}; born 10 October 1990) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Super League Kerala club Malappuram FC.
==Club career==
===Early career=== Born in Nawanshahr, Punjab, Gurjinder was born into a family of footballers.<ref name="Pune Profile">{{cite news|author=Pune FC |url=http://punefc.com/?player=gurjinder-kumar |title=5 Gurjinder Kumar |publisher=Pune FC |access-date=25 February 2012}}</ref> At the age of 10, after his older brother died, he started to take football seriously and joined the Chandigarh Football Academy.<ref name="Pune Profile"/> After spending seven years there Kumar moved to the famed Tata Football Academy where he joined the academy senior side.<ref name="Pune Profile"/>
===Pune=== In 2010, Gurjinder signed his first professional contract with Pune of the I-League.<ref name="Pune Profile"/> He scored his first professional goal during his first season at the club on 26 February 2011 against Viva Kerala in which his 11th-minute goal put Pune into an early 2–0 lead.<ref name="Viva Kerala First Goal">{{cite web|title=PUNE VS. CHIRAG KERALA 4 – 4|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/02/26/india/i-league/pune-fc/viva-kerala/1044858/|work=Soccerway|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> The club eventually managed to get into a 4–0 lead but then gave up four goals to draw the match 4–4.<ref name="Viva Kerala First Goal"/> After the 2010–11 season, he was named the Pune's best under-23 player at the club's annual awards ceremony.<ref name="Pune Profile"/> Gurjinder was part of the team that played against the then Premier League side Blackburn Rovers on 7 October 2011, in a game that Blackburn won 3-0<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://punefc.com/friendly-pune-fc-0-3-blackburn-rovers/|title = 💒婚活サイト口コミ比較ランキングおすすめ令和2021年👰人気成婚率で縁結び}}</ref> He then scored his second career goal the next season against Viva Kerala again, in a match Pune managed to win 3–1.<ref>{{cite web|title=PUNE VS. CHIRAG KERALA 3 – 1|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/11/01/india/i-league/pune-fc/viva-kerala/1215832/|work=Soccerway|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> Kumar then went on to score his third goal of his career, and his second that season, only a month later on 21 December 2011 against Churchill Brothers in which his 84th-minute strike helped Pune finish the match 2–0 winners.<ref>{{cite web|title=CHURCHILL BROTHERS VS. PUNE 0 – 2|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/12/21/india/i-league/churchill-brothers-sc/pune-fc/1215921/|work=Soccerway|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> His fourth goal of his career, and last for the season, came on 18 January 2012 against Mumbai in which he found the net in the 90th minute to finish a 3–0 victory for Pune.<ref>{{cite web|title=PUNE VS. MUMBAI 3 – 0|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/01/18/india/i-league/pune-fc/mumbai-fc/1215969/|work=Soccerway|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> Then after the 2011–12 season, he was given the "Goal of the Year" award for his strike against Chirag United Kerala.<ref>{{cite news|title=Douhou Pierre is Pune FC player of the year|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/douhou-pierre-is-pune-fc-player-of-the-year/article3376992.ece|work=The Hindu|date=2 May 2012|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> He won the Ashok Piramal Group "Young Player of the Year" award for 2012–13 season.<ref>{{cite web|last=D'Sa|first=Edwin|title=Defender Anas first Indian player to bag 'Pune FC Player of the Year' award|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/i-league/Defender-Anas-first-Indian-player-to-bag-Pune-FC-Player-of-the-Year-award/articleshow/20032250.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131104102854/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-13/i-league/39227150_1_player-award-i-league-chika-wali|url-status=live|archive-date=4 November 2013|work=The Times of India|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref>
Gurjinder did not score again until the 2013–14 season when his goal against Rangdajied United on 11 December 2013 to give Pune a 2–0 lead which they would eventually give up and lose 3–2.<ref>{{cite web|title=RANGDAJIED UNITED VS. PUNE 3 – 2|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2013/12/11/india/i-league/arhima-club/pune-fc/1585372/|work=Soccerway|access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref>
===Salgaocar=== Gurjinder Kumar signed for Salgaocar for the 2014-15 I-League and made his debut in the 2014-15 Indian Federation Cup, scoring 3 times in the group stages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/billy-davies/167226/|title=India - G. Kumar - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway}}</ref>
===FC Pune City=== In July 2015 Kumar was drafted to play for FC Pune City in the 2015 Indian Super League.<ref>{{cite web|last=Noronha |first=Anselm |title=Cavin Lobo to Kerala, Keegan Pereira to Mumbai and the comprehensive Indian Super League Draft |url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2015/07/10/13460302/cavin-lobo-to-kerala-keegan-pereira-to-mumbai-and-the?ICID=SP_HN_1 |work=Goal.com |date=10 July 2015 |access-date=10 July 2015}}</ref> ===NorthEast United=== In 2020 Kumar was signed by NorthEast United on a 2 years deal.
==International== In June 2011 Kumar made his international debut for India at the under-23 level against Qatar U23 side for the 2012 Olympic qualifiers.<ref name="Pune Profile"/> Then on 1 February 2012 Kumar was called up to the senior India side for a preparation camp for the upcoming 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.<ref>{{cite web|title=Team India leaves for Dubai|url=http://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=4850|work=The All India Football Federation|access-date=24 December 2013}}</ref> He then made his senior international debut for India on 27 February 2012 against Azerbaijan in a friendly in which he started and played the full 90 minutes as India lost 0–3.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/9110/Azerbaijan_India.html|title = Azerbaijan vs. India (3:0)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Strack-Zimmermann|first=Benjamin|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/46744/Gurjinder_Kumar.html|title=NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Kumar, Gurjinder|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=18 November 2022|archive-date=1 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201162947/https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/46744/Gurjinder_Kumar.html|website=national-football-teams.com}}</ref>
== Career statistics == === Club === {{updated|19 April 2023}}<ref>{{Soccerway|billy-davies/167226}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|Cup !colspan=2|AFC !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="5" |Pune |2010–11 | rowspan="4" |I-League |22||1||4{{efn|name=SuperCup|Appearance(s) in Super Cup}}{{efn|name=DurandCup|Appearance(s) in Durand Cup}}|||0|| colspan="2" |—||26||1 |- |2011–12 |21||3||3{{efn|name=SuperCup}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||24||3 |- |2012–13 |23||0||5{{efn|name=SuperCup}}{{efn|name=DurandCup}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||28||0 |- |2013–14 |18||1||3{{efn|name=SuperCup}}||0||7{{efn|name=statsAFCCL|Appearance(s) in AFC Champions League}}{{efn|name=statsAFCC|Appearance(s) in AFC Cup}}||0||28||1 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !84!!5!!15!!0!!7!!0!!106!!5 |- | rowspan="1" |Salgaocar |2014–15 | rowspan="1" |I-League |18||0||9{{efn|name=SuperCup}}{{efn|name=DurandCup}}||3|| colspan="2" |—||27||3 |- | rowspan="1" |Pune City (loan) |2015 | rowspan="1" |Indian Super League |4||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |—||4||0 |- | rowspan="1" |Salgaocar |2015–16 | rowspan="2" |I-League |11||1||0||0|| colspan="2" |—||11||1 |- | rowspan="1" |Minerva Punjab |2016–17 |3||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |—||3||0 |- | rowspan="4" |Mohun Bagan |2017–18 | rowspan="3" |I-League |5||0||3{{efn|name=SuperCup}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||8||0 |- |2018–19 |11||0||0||0|| colspan="2" |—||11||0 |- |2019–20 |8||0||4{{efn|name=DurandCup}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||12||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !24!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!31!!0 |- | rowspan="4" |NorthEast United |2020–21 | rowspan="3" |Indian Super League |18||0|| colspan="2" |— || colspan="2" |—||18||0 |- |2021–21 |16||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||16||0 |- |2022–23 |11||0||2{{efn|name=SuperCup}}||0|| colspan="2" |—||13||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !45!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!47!!0 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !189!!6!!33!!3!!7!!0!!229!!9 |} {{notelist}}
===International stats=== {{Updated|24 December 2013}}<ref>{{NFT player|id=46744|name=Gurjinder Kumar|accessdate=24 December 2013}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=3 | India national team |- !Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |2012||1||0 |- |2013||4||0 |- ! Total !! 5 !! 0 |}
==Honours==
===Individual=== * Pune's Best U-23 Player of the Year: 2010–11 * Pune F.C. Goal of the Year: 2011–12 * Ashok Piramal Group Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
===Club=== ;Mohun Bagan *Calcutta Football League (1): 2018–19<ref>{{cite web|title=Mohun Bagan Win Calcutta Football League After Eight Years|url=https://sports.ndtv.com/football/mohun-bagan-win-calcutta-football-league-after-eight-years-1915623|work= sports.ndtv.com|access-date= 15 September 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://punefc.com/?player=gurjinder-kumar Pune Football Club Profile] * [http://i-league.org/?tb_player=gurjinder-kumar I-League Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Gurjinder}} Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Indian men's footballers Category:Pune FC players Category:Salgaocar FC players Category:FC Pune City players Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Footballers from Punjab, India Category:I-League players Category:India men's international footballers Category:India men's youth international footballers Category:Minerva Academy FC players Category:Mohun Bagan Super Giant players Category:NorthEast United FC players Category:Indian Super League players Category:21st-century Indian sportsmen