'I started my hockey career in 2015 and in 2016 I saw Sreejesh bhai playing in the Olympics.'
What began as a stint at full-back eventually turned into a career between the posts for Princedeep Singh, whose early goalkeeping experiences during football training sessions played a pivotal role in shaping his journey in hockey.
The 21-year-old custodian from Batala in Punjab, who has been one of India's standout performers at the ongoing FIH Junior World Cup, idolises two-time Olympic medallist and current junior men's team captain PR Sreejeesh.
"I started my career with the Cheema Academy in Batala, Punjab, as a full back. That time I used to be a goalkeeper in football during training sessions but used to play hockey as full back," Princedeep told PTI.
"I used to make good saves then and from there it started. The coaches told me to become a goalkeeper in hockey."
Princedeep credited Sreejesh for shaping his mindset.
"I started my hockey career in 2015 and in 2016 I saw Sreejesh bhai playing in the Olympics. I idolise coach sir only, got to learn a lot of things from him. He was himself a goalkeeper and he knew how to handle pressure," he said.
Princedeep made crucial saves against Belgium in the quarter-final, including two in the shoot-out, to take India into the semi-final, where they fell short against Germany, losing 1-5.
The youngster admitted that playing in front of a packed stadium can test nerves but stressed the importance of internal communication.
"We get so support from the crowd and it increases your confidence.
"What we focus is on communication within ourselves with such a big crowd in attendance," he said.
"In front of such a huge crowd, we just try to focus on playing simple hockey and keep communication between players. Not to take pressure and take the crowd support in a positive way."