Premier League legend Paul Dickov, who played for several clubs including PL heavyweights Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester City, has said that he is impressed by the growth of Indian football over the last five years.
The former Scotland international also added that Football Sports Development Limited’s (FSDL) association with PL has played a significant role in the growth of the game in India.
Dickov was in India as part of the PL30 celebrations, celebrating 30 years of the Premier League, and said the quality and knowledge within Indian football had improved each time he has visited India. Dickov further said FSDL’s efforts for the growth of Indian football are visible.
“You can see it yourself, the improvement. The teams are improving, (as well as) the individual players. I think when you’ve got them and Premier League coming together, it can only help improve Indian football as a whole,” he said. “I know Premier League is looking to do Next Gen Cup, which is great because it is going to give international experience to the young players that are around as well. It’s all about progressing. The more progressing happens, the bigger Indian football is going to be,” he added.
The FSDL-Premier League partnership has seen various initiatives launched in the country to grow the game. This has included skill development programmes for coaches, referees, as well as players within the system. In June this year, the venture hosted Next Gen Cup in England, which saw youth teams of ISL clubs Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters rub shoulders with academies of top English clubs and finish in fourth place in their respective groups.
Dickov has visited India several times in recent years as a Manchester City representative for football events in India, and worked in Indian television studios as a pundit. Dickov expressed that he has learnt about the passion for Premier League in India through Manchester City’s collaboration with Mumbai City FC. He pointed out that football fans in India have always seemed knowledgeable and said they would play a big part in influencing the quality of football on the pitch.
“Fans have a huge influence on the players on the pitch. It’s easier for fans to be supportive when things are going well, but it is when things are not going too well that the fans can really drive you on. Some people think that players nowadays don’t take notice of the fans, but I can reassure you that they do. They appreciate the support, and they appreciate them really driving them on,” he added.
This season ISL has seen fans return to the stadiums in huge numbers after two years. The average attendance so far this season has put ISL among the highest viewed leagues in Asia, which is encouraging. After Match Week 6, defending champions Hyderabad FC are leading the pack with 16 points, four clear of Mumbai City in second place. With the new weekend-centric fixtures format in place, teams have managed to keep up their intensity and provide entertaining games for fans. Eighty-four goals have been scored in 30 matches so far this season.
