From the Colaba Back Garden to the 2017 ISL draft
Press Release: From scoring the winning goal in an MSSA interschool final as a seven-year-old to making it into the 2017 draft of the Indian Super League, Neel Shah has come a long way. This milestone brings him closer to fulfilling his dream of playing for India.
Neel Shal (left)
A product of the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA), Neel showed his passion for football at an early age, he trained at the Colaba back garden for Campion School & PIFA. He represented Maharashtra in the Under-13 and Under-15 AIFF national tournaments. He was the youngest debutant in the MDFA Elite division making his debut for the PIFA Colaba men’s team at the age of sixteen, and he went on to play the AIFF I-League 2nd Division & I-league U-19 tournament aged 17.
He was recently awarded an Honours Degree in Football Studies and Business at Southampton, UK while captaining his university football team which competed against other universities having players from English Premier League academies.
He has trained under UEFA “Pro & A” licensed coaches at internationally renowned youth academies – such as the Bobby Charlton, Liverpool FC, Everton FC, UK; Hristo Stoichkov Academy in Barcelona, Spain; and AC Milan Academy, Italy.
“This talented, tall young lad has come a long way. Being left footed and quick will make him an asset to any team” – Gary Lewis (ex-Head of Youth Development, Liverpool FC 2008–2014 coach & current Philadelphia Union U14 head coach) had this to say while awarding best skills player to Neel at a summer camp to Liverpool International Academy in 2011.
PIFA Director’s Anjali & Nirvan Shah could not be prouder of their twenty two-year-old son, Neel, and hopes for the best in his footballing endeavors.
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