Ian Andrew Gillan, the newly appointed head coach of Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC, expressed concerns regarding the heavy reliance on foreign players in domestic leagues. During a media interaction on Monday evening, he stated that this dependence is hindering the growth of Indian football. Gillan’s remarks highlight a significant issue within the sport, suggesting that fostering local talent may be crucial for the future development of the game in India.
Concerns Over Foreign Players in Indian Leagues
Gillan, who led Calicut FC to victory in the inaugural edition of the Super League Kerala (SLK), expressed concerns regarding the dominance of foreign players in domestic leagues across India, including the Indian Super League (ISL) and the Indian Football League (IFL). He stated, “In all domestic leagues in India, the key players are foreign stars. This hinders the development of Indian players.” Gillan emphasized that the primary objective of these leagues should be to nurture local talent.
“I remember an under-23 player who played for Calicut FC figuring in the ISL, the top tier league in the country, in the same season and it represents his growth as well as that of SLK. The 61-year-old Scottish-Australian coach. who has had coaching stints in Australia, England, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal, said Kombans will not disappoint their fans and will be keen to improve their poor home record this season. I assure the Kombans fans that they will give their 100 percent this season. The Thiruvananthapuram Kombans, which fielded foreign players mostly from Brazil in the first two seasons, will have a multi-national roster this time and will open its campaign against Gillan’s former club Calicut FC in an away match in Kozhikode on September 26.
Gillan pointed out that SLK was different from other leagues in this regard as the onus was on player development. “From the little time I spent with the boys, I feel we have a squad that is strong enough to face any challenge.
If I find an Indian player better than a foreign player for a certain position, I will definitely play him,’’ he said. As far as tactics goes, it will be flexible depending on the opponents and the situation we are in, ‘’ he said.