And that in essence is why his exit rankles all those who care about Indian football. A replacement, of similar or even better quality, is nowhere near ready. Very few sportspersons retire at their peak, most are simply pushed by younger talents, who are faster, stronger and usually have the benefit of new-age tech and training.

But Chhetri continued to play on because there was no one to push him. Former India striker I M Vijayan was pushed by Bhaichung Bhutia, Bhutia himself was pushed by Chhetri but the India No 11 has stood alone at the top for far too long despite making his debut for the country in 2005. For a while, it had looked like Jeje Lalpekhlua might be the man. He scored 23 goals in 56 matches for India, but his form fell away, and he retired in 2019. So, we are once again confronted with the same old question: Who after Chhetri?

The answer to that question is not readily apparent and given that India is a country with some footballing aspirations, that is a shame. So, celebrate Chhetri but at the same time ponder over why India doesn’t have someone ready to step into his boots. If nothing else, this should be giving AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, a former footballer himself, sleepless nights.