New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS): India Under-17 team defender Jitendra Singh on Thursday said facing family hardships did not stop him from playing football.

"My father is a watchman and my mother does tailoring but that did not stop my brother from playing football. My brother is an inspiration for me, a motivation that keeps me going through tough times," the 16-year-old defender told All India Football Federation (AIFF). 

"I remember he (brother) used to take me to the field to play football and that is how I got passionate for the game. Currently he plays for United Sports Club (Kolkata League) and I aspire to be like him. My family has always been supportive of me playing football. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today," he added.

Talking about the upcoming U-17 World Cup, Jitendra said: "This (FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 India) is a very good platform for India to boost football's growth. I am privileged to be a part of the setup."

Jitendra also revealed that his dream is to play for the senior national team. 

"I have to work hard, very hard and become a good player so that I can represent the Senior National Team. That is my dream," Jitendra said.