I am sure there would be undiscovered gems here – Ian Sampson

by Chittu Shetty October 5, 2017

Ian Sampson, Crystal palace scout is currently in India assisting Tony Walmsley for FCV International Academy’s first venture in Sub-Continent

Speaking to FootballCounter.com Ian seemed pretty excited about his first visit to India, “This is my first time in India. And I am enjoying the different culture over here, a lot different than back home in England but great to see so many children playing football.”

Watching the young ones giving trials for the academy Ian believes there is enough talents among the children’s in India but there are certain differences too when compared with the European counter-parts. “There is a difference in the way they play football. They are a little bit slower probably because of the heat but there is a lot of enthusiasm from all age groups and that has been very impressive.” When asked about what he is looking for in the trials, Ian replied, “We are judging the players based on their techniques, athleticism and understanding of the game, Based on that players will be divided in to development and Performance group.”

This might be Ian’s first visit to India but it is not his first connection to Indian football. Former Bengaluru FC manager Ashley Westwood is a friend back from their playing days for Northampton, while Bengaluru FC’s central defender John Johnson was a player under Ian when he became the Manager at Northampton, “I know a little bit about Indian football, I have some friends who played for or Managed Bengaluru FC, I was John Johnson’s manager while Ashley Westwood was my teammate at Northampton. And then there is ISL, which is more high-profile with big players promoting the game”

When asked about the young players ability to compete on par with their European counter-parts, Ian stated, ”I am sure there would be 1 or 2 undiscovered gems here it’s not easy to judge anyone in 2-3 hours but there is definitely a talent here.” Although Ian won’t stay long in India with work at crystal palace calling, he assured he would comeback whenever Tony would need a break.

There are good players with great athleticism and techniques – Tony Walmsley         

FCV head coach Tony Walmsley echoed a similar line when asked about the comparison between young players of Europe and India, “Players here haven’t been exposed to a structured football, Players without these experience of structure find ways to play themselves which is great but If we can just take these players and put them into more structured teaching environment then we can capture all the creativity and give them a football education at the same time.”

Regarding speed of the game he continued, “I think the tempo of the game is certainly slower but there were few players with exceptional speed. So the heat does affect the tempo of the game, they don’t press a high line but there are good players with great athleticism and techniques so I can’t really compare them with any other ways at the moment.”

Tony was also happy with the turn out for trials, “Over 100 players on day 1. I am happy with the start”. Tony will focus on developing the talents of Indian players, from Under-12s to Under-21s, through FCV and SRS Sports established coaching curriculum that utilises best international practices.