Churchill coach Derrick Pereira joins his first Indian Super League franchise

FC Goa
Derrick Pereira joins FC Goa as the assistant coach and head of Youth Development | Image: FC Goa

Ingternet Desk: After rescuing Churchill Brothers from the relegation in the I-League, Derrick Pereira joins FC Goa today for a fresh project. The Indian Super League club, on Sunday, announced the signing of the experienced coach as the assistant coach and head of Youth Development.

Currently, head coach of Churchill Brothers FC, Pereira has put pen to paper on a two-year deal and will join the club in the post season, once he finishes his commitments with the I-League side.

Pereira will also take the reigns as the head coach of the youth development squad which will be playing in the upcoming season of Goa Pro League.“We are delighted to welcome Derrick to the FC Goa family. Derrick is one of the most progressive coaches in the country and his expertise as a coach is well documented. He has been consistently successful at the various clubs he has managed and we feel that he can add immense value and knowledge to our organisation,” informed Club president Akshay Tandon, during the unveiling ceremony, held in a city hotel.

“We have a very ambitious vision and well organised plan for the development of football in Goa. And with his heritage and skill, we felt Derrick was the architect to lead the club’s efforts on the technical front. He will also be assisting the club with the preparations for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League and closely work with the head coach, which will be announced later,” stated Tandon.“With his experience of Indian football, he should lend some much needed experience and help us find the right balance for our squad where we will be looking for an improvement in our results from the previous season. He will also help in developing the grassroots and the youth teams from U-6 to 14 and U-12 to 23 years,” he further stated.Derrick thanked the club owners for blessing him with this opportunity. “I look forward to coming on board and try my best to fulfil the vision of the owners for the football club and football in Goa,” he mentioned.Speaking of the challenge ahead, Derrick said, “The club can develop good talented footballers if focused on grassroots and youth development. The club can groom players to be a world class if they are provided with the proper facilities which I have already discussed with the club. The competitions will also play a vital role in shaping the players, such as playing in the Goa Pro League and All-India football tournaments, which will help us in giving the youngsters the much needed exposure and to achieve our goals.”

“I always had an ambition to do something for my home state of Goa and this is an ideal opportunity to do just that,” he added.“During my brief break I was very keen to do something for the grassroots and work with the youth. With this opportunity, I will be able to do just that. I’m glad that FC Goa will take part in the Goa Pro League. This will be an ideal ground to train youngsters for the senior team and simultaneously compete at a higher level.”“As I’m making an entry after the third season, I will be assisting the head coach and it will be a learning experience. I would like to learn as I have always been a learner and it will also give me an opportunity to learn from a coach of international repute.”On his take on the Indian Super League, he said, “It is a tournament that has gained a lot of attraction from the home fans and I look forward to being involved in the coming edition. It has given the Indian players the much needed exposure by playing with the former international players.”Derrick, who started his career with the Salgaocar club, made his stride in becoming one of the best coaches in the Indian football engaging himself with the top clubs in the country.

The club also unveiled three of its new signings with Princeton Rebello, who was recently called up to the India U-19 camp joined by Santosh trophy finalists Aaren D’Silva and Liston Colaco. Both players earned positive reviews for their performances, with Liston coming in for particular praise for his goal-scoring exploits.The club has signed nine developmental players to date. Of which six are Liston Colaco, Aaren D’Silva, Princeton Rebello, Derren Fernandes, Jude Cardozo and Ivon Costa.Three names will be revealed at a later stage once all the paperwork and registration has been officially confirmed.