But injury, cultural differences and sheer bad luck meant Bhutia never fulfilled his potential.
Bhutia's prolific scoring in the National Football League, now rebranded the i-League, was noticed in England.
Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, thirty-eight, was born in Gyalshing, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas.
But Bhutia may lead India in a different capacity, having been mooted as a future national coach.
Bury's Indian international striker Baichung Bhutia will play in the opening game of his country's English tour after all.
The pack of Indian reporters at the Asian Cup all want to know one thing: Will Bhutia retire after the tournament?
While his exploits abroad had made him a hero to India's footballers, it wasn't until recently that Bhutia enjoyed wider recognition.
Bhutia now co-owns the United Sikkim club, which has risen to the I-League's top division just five years after its formation.
Bhutia was named captain for the tour but his participation was in doubt because the visit clashed with Bury's pre-season preparations.
Bhutia's Jamaican counterpart, Aaron Lawrence, was part of Jamaica's France 98 campaign, when many of the players were raised in England.
Since then Bhutia, who was on the verge of retirement, has enjoyed a career renaissance under the team's English coach Bob Houghton.
At Bhutia's academy in Delhi, 14-year-old Somil, Vansh and Tannay say they stay awake until the early hours to keep up with the European Championships and the World Cup.
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