Things have begun to look up for Indian football. FC Goa left winger Mandar Rao Dessai was invited to train for two weeks with Spanish La Liga club Villarreal at the end of July. This was a huge opportunity for the winger to show off his talent and skill at a top-level club. Born in Goa, the 24-year-old made his professional debut for Dempo in the I-League during the 2013-14 season. Since then he has also played for the FC Goa franchise in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Dessai’s training stint at Villarreal was promising. In an official statement about his time there, he said, “The experience in Spain was something completely different for me as compared to Indian football... I learnt new techniques and concentrated on positioning.”
Indian football can be a little underwhelming, so when players like Dessai go to train with an internationally recognised club, it makes way for the use of new styles and strategies. The winger noted how, “Spanish football is fast and one needs to defend higher. One of the things I learnt was to stay focused on the ball even if we lost it to the opposing team so that we could retrieve it.”
Dessai was signed by Goa in the inaugural season of the ISL in 2014 after his impressive performances for Dempo. He is an ideal winger who can get past defenders with his quick feet, ball control and pace. Villareal coach Carlos Peres described him as similar in style to most Spanish players.
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It was with great excitement that he announced, “... given more time they could develop me into a better player as I would understand the formation and technique over time. The team at Villarreal are keen to have me back and will decide once the Indian Super League season is over.”
He had an exciting ISL season last year with 3 goals, 2 assists and 2 Hero of the Match awards. With the latest edition of the ISL a little over a month away, Dessai is headed to Rio de Janeiro with the rest of his team for pre-season training. There are a few additions to the FC Goa team this year and the winger is looking forward to getting started.
“We have the same team as last year with a few additions and in a week or two we should be in good shape to understand each other and the playing styles that we have.” They will be getting ready for the tournament at Coach Zico’s academy in Rio. Dessai will be eager to make a positive impact under Zico, who is a mentor to him and improve his chances of getting a trial at Villarreal.
Dessai has represented the U-23 Indian football team in the 2014 Asian Games. He has been called up for the senior national team too but is waiting to make his first appearance.
