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Ex-Arsenal player, David Platt, has been named as the new manager for FC Pune City ahead of the second ISL season. Platt, who was assistant to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, spent two days in Pune assessing the facilities he would have at his disposal.
The ex-Juventus player, Platt was impressed with the facilities available to him saying, “I was pleasantly surprised. The main focus was on training facilities and accommodation, which is of a high standard. The training facilities are being improved and are good enough”.
There is no reason why Indian football cannot continue to grow: Platt
When asked about why he had decided to take up the job he said, “I didn't know much about Indian football until the opportunity arose and I spoke to (club CEO) Gaurav Modwel in London. The more I researched and the more I heard, I became enthusiastic about the strategy of the ISL and FC Pune. This is an ambitious plan and the strategy appealed to me.”
“People showed me pictures of what the stadium is like during the ISL and it's hugely encouraging. With some planning and the right strategy, there is no reason why football cannot continue to grow here at the domestic level,” he added.
I’m sure the players and the fans will love David: Gaurav Modwell
FC Pune City co-owner Gaurav Modwell said Platt was the “natural choice” for the job. In an interview with Sky Sports he said, “It's not easy to find all of that in someone all of 48 years old who has captained England, managed England U21s and worked with players of the calibre of Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and other big name players. He’s inquisitive, he has quickly studied Indian football and it became a very natural choice for us to go for him.”
Platt won the Premier League and FA Cup double, as a player, with Arsenal in 1998 and the Premier League with Manchester City, as the assistant manager, in 2011. He was also awarded the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1990.
Co-owner Hrithik Roshan tweeted about the appointment of Platt.
