EXCLUSIVE | ‘Kids In India Played Cricket’, Manchester United Legend Wes Brown Assesses Indian Football

India is known to be a cricket loving nation and there is this big cultural issue as everyone emphasises upon that one game only.

Kolkata: India, once considered by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter as the ‘Sleeping Giant’ of football has shown considerable signs of improvement in the last ten years with the advent of the Indian Super League. The tricolour nation has broke into the top 100 teams of the world after more than two decades and for the first time in history, the Blue Tigers have qualified for consecutive AFC Asian Cups. Currently placed 106th in the world, the country of 1.4 billion people are still yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Manchester United and Premier League legend Wes Brown, who ended his playing career in India with Kerala Blasters assesses about Indian football in an exclusive interaction with india.com. 

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India is known to be a cricket loving nation and there is this big cultural issue as everyone emphasises upon that one game only. So Brown stresses on bringing in a proper football structure and culture, where kids can shape their abilities and technique and eventually there would be a noticable difference.

”I think obviously the structure needs to be there and when I got there things were getting built. The big issue is that as a kid all I did is to play football and in India all I know the kids played cricket. That’s absolutely fine. In order to bring the change, all it takes a little change in structure and you’ll see the difference in kids growing up in their abilities and technique”, Brown told.

The 43-year old feels that the way you bowl, bat and field in cricket, it’s exactly the same when it comes to kicking the ball around. The 2-time UEFA Champions League winner also added that the current developing structure India has, the country will see a host of talented players in years to come.

”It’s like kicking the ball around, just like you will do in cricket. Be it bowling, batting and practising your fielding, it’s exactly the same. It will take a while ultimately but in India you’ll see in years to come in the national team some talented players and that’s all come from a young age. The structure is there now and you’ve got help in that sort of sense and that’s all it needs”, he said.

When asked about one Indian player he was heavily impressed with during his time with the Yellow Army, he straightaway went for India legend and skipper Sunil Chhetri.

”I think it’s got to be the main man Sunil. He has played abroad, he has been to different leagues and have scored a lot of goals. His attitude, the sort of standard he has is something that one look up to”, he added.

The former England international hails the Bengaluru FC striker as one of the best trainers he has ever seen.

”He’s still fit and one of the best trainers I have seen, I’ll be honest. If you watch him on social media you’ll see how much he commits. Even at his age, he’s training and trying to get better. Young Indian footballers would want to look up to someone and he’s definitely the guy and a top man as well”, Brown concluded.

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