Hiralal Mukherjee
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 October 1886 | ||
| Place of birth | Bengal Presidency, British India | ||
| Date of death | 14 December 1962 (aged 76) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1906–? | Mohun Bagan | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Hiralal Mukherjee (14 October 1886 – 14 December 1962) was Indian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was a member of the "Immortal XI", of Mohun Bagan, that won the IFA Shield in 1911.[1]
Early life
Mukherjee was born on 14 October 1886, to a middle-class family in the erstwhile Bengal Presidency of British India. He grew up and had his early education in the Bagbazar locality of Calcutta (now Kolkata). At a young age, he lost his father and following which, he moved to Howrah with his elder sister. Passing the entrance exam at the Howarh Zilla School in 1904, he got himself enrolled at the Bengal Engineering College (now Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology) in Shibpur. This was when he quit his studies and took to football as a profession. He was suggested to take up goalkeeping by Sailen Basu, an official at Mohun Bagan, the club which Mukherjee first played for.[2]
Career
Mukherjee began his club career with Mohun Bagan in 1906. As a goalkeeper, he was known for his ability to storm into the tackles of the opposition strikers.[3]
He was a part of the team that won the IFA Shield in 1911, when they beat East Yorkshire Regiment 2–1 in the final. The winning team was titled "Immortal XI" following the victory. This is viewed as a turning point in Indian football, as a team of Indian natives on bare foot had beaten a well coached British team. Mukherjee's best moment at the tournament came when he saved three penalties against Rangers Football Club in the second game of the tournament, a match that Bagan won 2–1.[1]
References
- 1 2 "History Of Mohun Bagan (Part 1): The Success That Changed Indian Football". thehardtackle.com. 2 May 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "The Immortal XI". mohunbaganclub.com. Mohun Bagan. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Immortal XI – Remembering Green And Maroon Legends (From The Archives)". thehardtackle.com. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2014.