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Mehtab Hussain went to England and then to Scotland to try his luck by appearing in selection trials at a few clubs there last year. Now, it’s Mohun Bagan defender Nirmal Chettri‘s turn to follow suit.
After the completion of the ongoing football season, Nirmal Chettri is supposed to leave the city and go to Europe to appear in selection trials at a few clubs there.
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Mehtab Hussain’s trip to England was recommended by his former colleague in East Bengal, the crafty Scottish midfielder Alan Gau. Gau’s initiative helped the India international to find interested clubs in the third division of English league. Mehtab also had opportunity to give trials at two 3rd division Scottish Clubs. This arrangement was made by the agent of Gau who had represented an Iranian club last season.
Nirmal Chettri’s Europe trip is backed by the country’s footballing icon Bhaichung Bhutia. Bhutia, through his Football Players Association of India (FPAI), has built up an organization named Football Age. As it has planned of several football development activities in India, Football Age wants to set its focus on creating opportunities for the potential Indian footballers to appear before selection trials in different clubs of Europe and in Asia also.
According to plans, Football Age will also send two or three more potential footballers from the north-east region along with Nirmal Chettri. An executive of Football Age said, “So far, we have finalized the talks with the agents of our foreign clubs Nirmal will get opportunity to appear before two third and second division clubs in Spain and the two clubs in Portugal. If the Indian international defender can satisfy the coaching staffs there, then we will try to organize the player’s agreement with the club and even we will try to organize work permit for him during his tenure with the club.”
Chettri, elated with this rare chance, stated, “I am indebted to Bhaichung who has been silently contributing to our generation of footballers in India. I will surely test my fortune and try to prove me mettle there if I obtain the opportunity.”
It has also been learnt that Football Age has shortlisted Indian international footballers whom the organization will be offering the chance of playing abroad in near future. And in the list, the name of the next footballer after Nirmal Chettri is East Bengal midfielder Sanju Pradhan.
Bhiachung, when asked about the project, said, “Unless you enter into the main stream of the world football, you cannot judge your quality. That is why I went to England. And the most important aspect regarding this effort of playing abroad is the after effect. After returning from Bury FC, my standard of game improved a lot. Initially, I was literally a striker. But only after my three years stint with Bury FC, I learnt to play from the deep, that means playing behind the strikers, as a withdrawal centre forward.”
