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Being a veteran in the Indian Football circuit, Darren Caldeira has seen almost everything. He has seen the advent of ISL, experienced the debut seasons of Bengaluru FC and Chennai City FC, and saw the disturbing drop of Mumbai clubs in the I-League from three to zilch.
Caldeira also has an AFC 'B' coaching license, and has played under top coaches in India like Ashley Westwood, Khalid Jamil and Eelco Schattorie. An experienced campaigner, the midfielder played for ATK in the fourth season of ISL. His current contract with Kerala Blasters runs till May 31 of this year.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the Bandra native sums up his journey from his youth days in Mumbai to his latent stint at Kerala Blasters. Here are the excerpts:
Question: You began your career by playing in Mumbai and played for all the major clubs in the city. How was that journey?
Darren Caldeira: I remember going to Mahindra U-19 trial with my friend where it all began. There were around 500 kids, and luckily I got selected. Whenever the club fell short of players, four or five of us would get called up to their senior team. So, I trained with them for a couple of matches.
It was a good experience, and I got promoted to their senior squad next season. It was one of the best moments of my career as Mahindra were filled with star-studded players at that time who played for the national team. I didn't get to play any of the I-League matches, but I got to learn a lot.
Then I switched to Mumbai FC. They were a new club. I moved there after Khalid Jamil and Abhishek Yadav, who were my mentors in the initial phase of my career, spoke to me about it. That's where I made my I-League debut, and got a platform to showcase my skills.
I joined Air India for a year too. But after that, I came back to Mumbai FC. So, you can say, in a way, I represented all the major clubs of Mumbai in the I-League.
Question: The number of Mumbai clubs in the top divisions of India has gone down recently. How does this affect the youngsters in the region?
Darren Caldeira: During my time, it was an excellent time to make your mark as a youngster as there were a handful of clubs at your disposal. Even ONGC plied their trade from Mumbai. Now, apart from Mumbai City FC, you don't have any other club in India from here.
So, youngsters don't have a local club to look for, and have to venture outside the state to give trials in other teams. It is not easy for every player to head out at a young age give a trial at some other club and make it count. We need more teams in Mumbai: I-League and Second Division, both.
Question: You won the I-League with Bengaluru FC in their debut season. How was that feeling?
Darren Caldeira: Bengaluru FC was my first club outside Mumbai. All the players were so used to living in a specific environment, and then when all of a sudden we came to Bengaluru FC everything got changed. We had fat tests, hydration tests, and so many other minute details that were unheard of in Indian Football. Bengaluru FC brought this professionalism in India. It made us all think why we were there, and what it felt like being a professional footballer.
Ashley Westwood was following the European norms and standards. I think that was one of the best things to have happened in Indian Football. All the clubs are doing it now. But Bengaluru FC was the first club to start doing this.
Question: Another new club that you joined in their debut season was Chennai City FC. How were they different?
Darren Caldeira: I was in Chennai City FC during the first season when they were formed. They had a decent bunch of players. We didn't have a proper pre-season, and a lot of players came in late. We should have done better in the I-League. But I feel Chennai City FC did a great job with some local players. It was the first professional team for players like Soosai, Edwin and Nandha. Guys like them had a lot of potential. The Chennai City FC owners were very interested in nurturing young and local talents, which is an excellent thing.
Question: I heard that you also have a 'B' license in coaching. When did it occur to you that you need to get coaching badges?
Darren Caldeira: I started doing my coaching badges when I felt that it would be nice to learn how football works on the other side. It gives you a broader perspective. I learnt that 'D' license was coming up. So, I thought of just giving a shot to it. I enjoyed it. There are a lot of things that happen in your daily life, but you do not pay much attention to them. I feel that these coaching badges make you a better footballer. They make you understand a lot of things that a coach teaches, and why he does such things.
After I did my 'D' license in Calcutta, I was interested in doing my 'C'. I did it at Manipur. Then obviously my 'B' happened, and I did it in Goa. I would like to get my 'A' license very soon. The modules were a mix of practicals and theory. They involved everything from matchday preparations, physical loading, how to go about a training session, and how to deal with kids and older players.
I would like to keep my options open once I retire. It could be either coaching or administration.
Question: How important it is to have senior players like you in the locker room?
Darren Caldeira: It's important to have senior players and leaders in a team. They give you a push when you need to be working harder. I was fortunate enough to have some outstanding senior players like Peter Siddique, Abhishek Yadav, Khalid Jamil, and Mahesh Gawli, who were helpful and thorough professionals.
When you are winning, they keep you grounded, and when the team loses, they lift you back up and motivate you for the next game. I always feel that for a team to be successful, you need a mix of young blood and senior players.
Question: Last season, you were with Kerala Blasters. What is your opinion on Eelco Schattorie, and the club as a whole?
Darren Caldeira: Eelco Schattorie is a top coach. He is super passionate. He is also very straight-forward and honest. If he thinks you are doing well, he will tell you that in your face. If he thinks you are doing wrong, he would say to you the need to buck up directly. You like those qualities in your coach.
He is also very adamant about sticking to your style of play. Even if things are not working out, he wants to play in his way. He likes to play out from the back. Also, if mistakes keep on happening, he still encourages us to work on them, and continue doing the same thing.
Kerala Blasters is a massive club. Yes, we didn't do well as a team. We aspired to finish in the top four. We just need to look back and prepare for the next season.
Question: You played for both Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters. Which one do you think has a more vociferous fan base?
Darren Caldeira: It is impossible to pick one from the two. Both sets of clubs have amazing fans and passionate supporters. They are all the time pushing their teams. There is no clear winner here.
