Having played for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Bhaichung became the first Indian to play for an overseas club, spending three years at Bury in England from 1999 to 2002.

He came back and joined Mohun Bagan, but after an unsuccessful season shifted to East Bengal. One of the high points in his career came when East Bengal became the first Indian club to win an international title, the ASEAN Cup, in 2003.

Bhutia touched another peak when he led the national team to the AFC Challenge Cup victory at the Ambedkar Stadium last year. With the win, India also qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup after 24 years.

Bhutia has been the national captain on and off for the last 10 years. Under his captaincy. India have won three tournaments - the LG Cup in Vietnam in 2002, the Nehru Cup in 2007 and the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.