'Mumbai City days are in the Past': Homebound Gurkirat ready to roar for Punjab FC against Old Employers

Punjab FC forward Gurkirat Singh will have an added incentive when the Shers face Mumbai City FC in their Indian Super League 2026-27 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on October 19.

The 23-year-old Chandigarh-born attacker spent three seasons with the Islanders between 2021 and 2024 before moving to Chennaiyin FC. He scored his first and last ISL goal for Mumbai City against Chennaiyin in December 2023, finding the net in a 3-0 victory.

A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Gurkirat began his senior career with Indian Arrows and represented India at several age-group levels. Known for his versatility in attack, he can operate as a forward or left winger. After two seasons with Chennaiyin, he joined Punjab FC on a two-year deal in July 2026.

Mumbai City days are my Past

And ahead of the match against his former employers, Gurkirat will hope to make his mark in Punjab colours, and says the days with Mumbai City are in past.

"Mumbai City days are in the past. I had some good years as a player in Mumbai, but things didn't go as well for me in Chennai. Now, I've joined my hometown team, which has a young squad, and I'm highly motivated to help the team.

"As the coach said, everyone has a positive attitude and is working hard towards winning every game. Our approach will remain the same: take one match at a time. For me, this will be just another match where I need to work hard and help the team in whatever way the coach wants me to," Gurkirat said at the pre-match press conference.

The 23-year-old striker may be down the pecking order in the frontline, but he says he is learning a lot from the Punjab FC foreigners.

"It's always good to learn from good strikers who score goals. A striker's main job is to find the back of the net, and I am still young. Being an Indian striker in the ISL is tough, so I always observe what experienced strikers do on the pitch - how they move, where they position themselves and how they make runs to score goals. I try to keep those things in mind and implement them during matches," he added.

Ricky Shabong is an Inspiration

He also spoke highly about India midfielder Ricky Shabong, with whom he has an old connection.

"As for Ricky, we played together for the India U-15 national team. He has always been a hard-working player in midfield, and I draw motivation from watching him on the pitch. His work ethic inspires me, and I believe that kind of attitude helps our team perform better," Gurkirat concluded.