Age catching up, it was now or never

The last time Nicky Shorey saw his team, any of them, top of the points table was in 2006. Those were the days when he was in the blue and white stripes of Reading FC, in the English Championship. Many winters have gone by since.

Quite strangely, for a player once thought to be a natural fit in England national set up, to savour the moment again, he had to cross many seas, and join Indian Super League’s FC Pune City.

“Hah. It’s been a few years, yeah. Back in my Reading days. We (at Pune) got a good experienced team and that served us in good stead,” said Shorey. “2005-06. That was a while ago.”

Shorey’s decision to finally relent and play for a club outside England for the first time, at the age of 34, is a sign of the man’s desire to keep playing as long as he can, and to win something. The football world may spend much of their attention on a select few, highly gifted, individuals on top of the ladder, but it is those a few steps below who constitute much of that world. For them, winning takes a lot more effort, and may demand you to toil in lower leagues of English football before getting noticed. Or, as is the case now, may ask you to live out of a suitcase for three months straight. POSITIVE START “It’s been a positive experience so far. I have enjoyed it,” said Shorey on the ISL and Pune. “It’s different obviously... I wanted to try something new. I’m not getting any younger, so it was now or never. I’m glad I tried it. The good thing about Pune is there are a few of us who are from England. So we relate to each other, help each other.”

“The Indian players are very enthusiastic and really want to do well. So that makes you want to do well, and enjoy your football.

“In England, in the last few years we have seen a lot of players seeking a contract. So you have to broaden your horizon. The ISL is obviously an up and coming league. Good levels (of football), competitive. And they (the ISL and team managements) want experienced players of a certain level. And I’m glad I came,” the Englishman said.

Shorey has had a great season so far, often belying his true billing as a defender to venture forward and join the attack. That and a smartly assembled crop of players have taken the team to top of the league. But for Shorey, the title or even the semifinals is too far; the focus is Wednesday’s game against Kerala Blasters.

“We are only seven games into the season. We have done well so far, but we haven’t won anything yet. We are not looking that far.”

QUITE STRANGELY, FOR A PLAYER ONCE THOUGHT TO BE A NATURAL FIT IN ENGLAND NATIONAL SET UP, TO SAVOUR THE MOMENT AGAIN, HE HAD TO CROSS MANY SEAS, AND JOIN INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE’S FC PUNE CITY