Coach bats for youth players

One of the giants of Indian Football, coach Stephen Constantine’s testament has been his ability to spot players from nowhere and draft them into his squad as part of the team’s developmental process. At the moment, as India train in Mumbai ahead of the Hero Tri-nation International Football series, there are U-23 players picked up from Santosh Trophy, from team benches of I-League Clubs and even players who have hardly played at all during the previous season.

Constantine defines his coaching ideology, the logic of looking into ‘obscurity,’ the lifespan of a team and the need for the change. He applauds Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) for building two top-class stadiums — Cooperage and Mumbai Football Arena.

Talking about the synergy of the team, he says, “Right from day one, I have tried to create a positive atmosphere with regards to competition within the team. Of course, you need the experience and need to learn from the senior players, but that can sometimes lead us to a bit of stagnation. It’s extremely important for senior players to need to work hard to keep their positions as much it is important for the kids to learn to take their positions. At the moment, I feel we have the right balance as even the young players have some eight or nine matches under their belt and you cannot call them inexperienced anymore.”

Tournaments like Santosh Trophy and other university level knockout competitions have brought out fine prospect over the years. Mumbai has seen football grow with MDFA having refurbished football stadiums over the years. The gaffer agrees to the fact he keeps an eye out for young players who shine in these tourneys and leagues. “I look for the general attitude of the player in those games. It’s all about the desire and the commitment and their willingness to go the extra mile. Of course, you need to have the ability, and just passion and running around wouldn’t alone do. If the attitude is right, I can improve him, but if the attitude isn’t right, he won’t ever reach the level,” he asserts.

The English coach, who has managed various teams in the last 18 years, agrees to the fact that Indian football has a lot of talent but he also stress on the detail that finding it is not hunky-dory. The coach expresses, “There’s never any substitute for watching. In such a vast country like India and a huge city like Mumbai, I will always be looking around, and why not?” he asks. “I have always said that there is talent all over in this country. But talent will never spot you; rather you need to walk to discover them. It’s because I am looking around that I am finding players from obscurity and here we are, speaking about it.” “Having been through trials as a kid, I felt they can at times be extremely unfair simply because the kid never gets enough chance to showcase his potential. When I see any player, and from all levels, I just try to find out whether he can play the brand of Football that I want him to play. If you can, the door stays open for you,” he says, talking about spotting young talent in cities like Mumbai with a high population.

“As long as I will be the coach, I will always try and develop young players and give them opportunities. The lifespan of any team is around four to six years. When you are in the fourth year, you need to keep searching; you need to look for change,” he signs off.