Indian Football team manager Stephen Constantine has cleared the air over Michael Chopra’s dreams of donning an Indian jersey. Constantine, who was recently in the capital for the launch of India’s overseas scouting programme, told a reputed Indian media house that it’s completely over for the striker and his desire of donning the Blue Tigers’ jersey. The English striker of Indian-origin had recently requested to be considered for selection for the Indian National football team.
He said “It's not going to happen. He's 32 (years old) now. Even if he decides to apply for Indian citizenship, the entire process will take at least two years. He's already well past it”.
Constantine told that the former Sunderland and Newcastle United striker was already 32 and to attain the Indian citizenship, he would be well past his best by then. Chopra is the only player of Indian origin ever to play in the English Premier League and made the England squad for every age group, except the senior squad. Since 2006, Chopra holds the PL record for the fastest goal scored by a substitute in history, scoring after being on the pitch for just 15 seconds in the heated Tyne-Wear derby.
Chopra came through the ranks at Newcastle United and many thought he would go on to achieve great heights for the Magpies. However, that was not to be. Chopra, however, showed his potential after his move to the Championship with Cardiff City. His only season with the Welsh club saw him find the back of the net on 22 occasions on his way to be named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Championship.
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This was followed by a controversial move to Sunderland, where his transfer caused a lot of unrest in the area owing to his Geordie roots.
Michael Chopra had joined the Kerala Blasters in the inaugural season of ISL in 2014 from Blackpool. Recently, Chopra has re-joined the Sachin Tendulkar-owned franchise for ISL 2016 and recently revealed his desire to represent the country of his origin. Chopra had said that he has not given up on his ambition to represent India. In the past, Chopra has also said that he’s willing to give up his British passport to represent India.
Constantine, though, quashed all doubts over the striker’s future. The manager revealed that he had a chance to join the National team in 2002. Constantine revealed that he had given Chopra a phone call to re-iterate the value he would add to the National Team then, but he did not take the opportunity then. Constantine clearly stated that Chopra is a player past his prime now and he doesn’t see him making it to the Indian National team in the future.
