ISL and I-League can exist side by side
dubai — Selecting the right kind of men and women to carry out grassroot level talent scouting and coaching is a challenge in any sport.
Here is one person who can get along with children of any age, from five to the teens, not only on the field but also off it. Meet Terry Michael Phelan, former Ireland (42 caps including 1994 World Cup) and EPL (Man City, Chelsea, Everton) player and currently technical director of the Prodigy Football Academy, the grassroot programmes partner of Kerala Blasters of the Indian Super League (ISL).
The coach of the Blasters side in the closing phases of the ISL last season, Phelan strongly believes that both the ISL and the Indian League (I-League) can exist side by side as it will only help Indian football.
“There is no dearth of natural talent in the country and India can slowly in a planned and meticulous way climb back to where they belonged once a long time ago, and for this we need the expertise available at the ISL and the football federation,” Phelan told Khaleej Times, after going through an initiation session in Dubai.
“We have to come to the point straight,” he added, “One has to recognise the fact that organisation at the grassroot level is one where painstaking work for at least 5-8 years is required. It will bear fruit as long as quality and modern methodology is sustained.”
For a man with vast playing and coaching experience, one finds him totally at ease with children and teenagers, going by what we saw at the Bilva Indian School facility — home to the academy’s sixth centre after the first five in Kerala.
“Getting coaches for the job needs a lot of weeding. Once the coaching licence is attained, many use it as a means for part time work. We must be careful especially among the entry level coaches who have to show ambition to go up to the Fifa A category within a set time,” Phelan said.
moni@khaleejtimes.com