THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Twenty-one-year-old Sagar Ali is all set to follow in the footsteps of football legends like former Indian international V P Sathyan, after signing for Chennai-based Indian Bank football team for the next season.
The legendary full back was a player for Indian Bank in 1996 and then coached them in 2001 and Ali, a centre back himself, said he is relishing the opportunity to play for the Chennai Super Division side.
“I think moving to Chennai will do a lot of good for my game and career. The football there is very competitive with a handful of strong teams,” said Ali, who will move from AG’s Office after spending an eventful season at Thiruvananthapuram.
The youngster was a regular for a strong AG’s Office side that reached the final of the inaugural Kerala Premier League at Kozhikode as well as competing in the G V Raja All-India Football Tournament and the Kerala State Club Football Championship.
Before AG’s, Ali also appeared for I-League second division side Eagles FC Kerala in the 2012-13 season, after being forced to give it a try by Satheevan Balan, his coach at the University Sports Hostel here.
“Satheevan Balan sir is who made me a professional footballer from the school boy level I was in,” Ali said of the Kerala Santosh Trophy team assistant coach. “I would attribute all my success so far in my career to the coach,” he added.
However, the young defender is eager to link up with his new coach at Chennai - Syed Sabir Pasha, a contemporary of the likes of I M Vijayan, Jo Paul Ancheri and Baichung Bhutia in the Indian team.
“He is a coach who has a wealth of experience and I am very much looking forward to learning from him.
I hope we will have a very successful time at the club” said Ali, who hails from Kothamangalam.
Ali began his career at the age of 14 while a ninth standard student of Mar Basil HSS. He attended the sub-junior state football championship for Idukki in 2007 and after school, moved to Sports Council hostel at Panampally Nagar, Ernakulam.
Soon, he was rewarded with a call up to the Sports Authority of India’s Kollam centre, from where he moved to train under Balan. Ali has also appeared in TNIE GOAL 2012 for MG College, Thiruvananthapuram.