Nongdamba Naorem’s magical goal for the Indian Arrows in their I-League match against Shillong Lajong has earned him widespread praise, so much that his footwork was compared to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi. The Manipuri, though, played down comparisons to his idol.
Naorem, who was a part of India’s historic Fifa U-17 World Cup team a couple of months ago, was calm about the plaudits that have come pouring his way. “Lionel Messi is one of my idols. Every footballer dreams about him. I can only dream to be like him,” the 17-year-old said was quoted as saying by the All India Football Federation’s website.
“The movement for the goal just came naturally to me and it was all split-second decisions which led me straight on to the goal. Had I made one decision wrong, it would have been different. It was just one of those moments where I did everything right.”
Naorem, who is slight in frame, said that playing against physically imposing opponents made him push hard, but is aware that his side can hurt opponents with their footwork. “One of the elements [we] learnt from the U-17 World Cup was to deal with physically stronger opponents. That has helped us immensely in the I-League,” he said.
“Yes, we are the youngest team but that also means that we can be the swiftest and the quickest. The experience of playing in a World Cup was immense as we can handle pressure a lot better now,” he added.
Naorem also said that the World Cup experience made him a better player: “It taught me to give my 100% on the pitch even while being under pressure. It made me understand, or rather, all of us understand that anything is possible when you stay committed as a team. It evolved me into a much better player on and off the pitch.”