13-year-old boy joins Dutch club NEC Nijmegen U-15 squad

Delhi boy Kshitij Kumar Singh has joined the Holland based NEC Nijmegen football club for its Under-15 youth squad.
NEC Nijmegen is a professional football club, which competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club's youth teams feature at the highest level in Dutch Youth Leagues and compete against top European clubs in international tournaments.
The 13-year-old 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.
He started playing football at the age of six, initially with Bhaichung Bhutia Academy and then at FCB Escola.

The forward was spotted by Piet Hubers, Technical Director of ISL Grassroots at the Delhi Dynamos Scouting Festival for RFYC scholarship in 2016.
Since last June, Kshitij has participated in 29 competitive and friendly games, scoring 31 goals and providing 25 assists.

Nita Ambani, Founder Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, said Kshitij's selection at NEC youth team will be a bench mark for more opportunities for India talents.
"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.