Mohammed Salim (footballer)

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Mohammed Abdul Salim (1904-November 5, 1980) was an Indian footballer from Calcutta. He was the first person from the Indian sub-continent to play for a European football team, during a short but significant spell with Celtic F.C. in 1937^{[citation needed]}.

1 Career
2 Legacy
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] Career

After playing in Calcutta's Mohammedan Sporting Club and East Bengal Club in British India,^[1] Salim was signed for Celtic by manager Willie Maley after impressing during a trial. Besides being a skilful winger, Salim also became famous for playing the game in bandaged bare feet instead of the customary football boots. On his debut in 1937, Salim helped Celtic win 5-1 against Gaston F.C then another game which Celtic FC also won with his help 7-0 against Hamilton F.C as these games were friendlies he is not recorded to have played.^[2]. The press were excited about his skills and called him "The Indian Juggler" with headlines such as "Ten Twinkling Toes of Indian Salim hypnotized the crowd at Parkhead."

However he was starting to get homesick but Celtic FC were determined to see him stay they tried to persuade him by giving him 5% of a charity match in his honour but he refused and asked the money (£1800,a lot at the time) to be giving to orphans (something that Celtic FC does yearly). In the end, Celtic FC couldn't persuade him and he went back to the Indian sub continent with Mohammedan Sporting Club.^[1]

[edit] Legacy

After a while, Salim fell ill so his son Rashid Salim wrote a letter to Celtic FC about the illness and needed money for recovery. He admitted that he only wrote the letter to see if Celtic FC still remembered him and to his astonishment, the reply came with all sorts of reassuring help and also a cheque of £100.^[3]