Indian football head coach Igor Stimac feels that captain Sunil Chhetri is motivated enough to keep going and remains very valuable for guiding the national team youngsters.
The 35-year-old recently stated that he is not going away anytime soon, putting to rest speculations around his retirement.
“He is motivated enough to keep going and very valuable to our youngsters with his attitude, professionalism and a positive mindset,” Stimac told PTI when asked if Chhetri can play for another three-four years.
“We [coaches] are there to provide best possible service to all our players and do justice at the end by choosing the best 11 or 23 for a game. We are happy to have Sunil with us and we will help him stay focused and motivated on his game as long as possible,” he added.
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Stimac praised the move of All India Football Federation to reduce the number of foreign players in the Indian Super League and I-League matches to four will benefit Indian football. Stimac had earlier this year spoken on the need to reduce the number of foreign recruits in the Indian Super League and I-League.
“I am happy [with the move]. It is going to bring benefits to Indian football very soon,” said the 52-year-old.
The Croat observed that the younger lot of Indian players will help them bridge the gap between India and the Asian powerhouses.
“From the very first day we started relying on young talented players believing that our hard work and trust in them will pay us back in the near future,” he said.
“I like when I see young players getting chances in ISL and I-league. That’s our only way of speeding up and competing with other successful Asian football countries. Developing young players is mostly based and dependent on structured and professional work in football academies.”
