According to the Manchester Players, India has Enough Potential to Shine in World Football
Kolkata: It was a moment to cherish for the Manchester United fans in the city. The atmosphere was electrifying at the East Bengal ground on Sunday with the presence of United ambassador Dwight Yorke and former players Quinton Fortune and Bojan Djordjic. It was the third visit in last 12 months to India by the Old Trafford-based club to promote #ILoveUnited campaign which has already rocked other Indian cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.
United ambassador Yorke led a daylong football party, starting from meeting fans, savoring local culture and playing a legends ‘3vs3′ match against three former East Bengal greats. The United legends were pitted against an East Bengal side which comprised of ex-players like Tarun Dey, Tushar Rakshit, Abhijit Mondal and Alvito d’Cunha. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Manchester United stars later played host to a special screening of Premier league encounter between Red Devils and Tottenham Hotspur with the fans.
Trinidadian Dwight Yorke later heaped high praises on Indian Super League (ISL). According to Yorke,“Foreign footballers are coming in big numbers to play in ISL and it will only help the Indian players a lot. They will learn a lot of things from these foreigners.”
Another United star Quinton Fortune was amazed to see the craziness for football amongst the fans.
“Though it is my maiden visit to Kolkata but I know this is a football crazy city and I saw it during the game between Atletico de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC last night. ISL is a brand new tournament and it will only grow bigger with the passage of time,” said Fortune.
He further added, “I have seen a lot of Indian players, who have the potential to do well for this country and if they get proper training, the future of India in football is very bright.”
Former United star Bojan Djordjic who played for Chennaiyin FC in ISL feels the need of the hour is to develop grassroots football. He also reminded that it is a long-term project and success cannot be achieved overnight.
“Picking footballers from grassroots level is a long-term project, but here in India everyone wants overnight success which is not possible.”
He feels that with proper infrastructure, India can develop into a powerhouse in these parts.
“I played Chennaiyin FC couple of years back and I saw a lot of good footballers like Jeje Lalpekhlua and Harmanjot Singh Khabra. I think with proper infrastructure India can do well in world football.”