While Covid-19 pandemic brought everything to a grinding halt, there was some good news for young footballer Athul Unnikrishnan.
This 20-year-old from Kochi was recently signed by Kerala Premier League side Luca SC in a move that can be seen as another stepping stone in his fledgeling career.
Earlier this year, Nimshad Roshan, who also hails from the city, had created history by becoming the first player from Eloor to earn a professional contract with an I-League club when he signed for Gokulam Kerala FC.
Interestingly, both Nimshad and Athul started their journeys with the Future Football (FF) Club based at the FACT football ground in Eloor and played together a lot. Their rise is an encouraging sign that more and more talent is starting to emerge out of the region and making their mark.
“What I like about Luca SC is that they are a very ambitious club and have plans to eventually compete in the I-League. So, I believe that it will be a good platform for me in my footballing journey. The big dream is to play in the I-League and the ISL and playing for the country, but it’s all about one step at a time and I don’t want to get carried away. I want to give my hundred per cent to Luca SC now and achieve our goals,” said Athul.
It was his solid performances for Golden Threads FC in the KPL last season that alerted Luca SC, who snapped him up.
While Athul primarily plays as a central defender, he can also operate in the fullback positions, and despite his young age, he was a regular starter for Golden Threads.
“I’m sure one of the top clubs in Kerala would have signed him up, if not us. Whenever he played against us in the KPL, he was impressive and we signed him because of his versatility,” said Luca SC CEO Waivaw Srivastav.
After starting with the FF Club, the Edappally lad went to Kovalam FC with whom he played the U-18 I-League tournament.He also had a one year stint with the under-18 side of Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and trained under the legendary Jo Paul Ancheri.
He then had a one-and-a-half month training stint in Spain with Madrid-based club AD Alcorcon before signing with Golden Threads. Having started playing football only at 15, Athul’s career trajectory has been steadily on the upward swing.