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FPAI awards 2015 - Best Young Player nominees

The nominees for the Best Young Player award have been revealed with the winner to be announced during the FPAI ceremony on September 27.

The Football Players Association of India (FPAI) have announced the nominees for the Best Young Player of the Year award. The award ceremony will be held on September 27, in Kolkata.

Pritam Kotal makes the list of nominees having been a regular fixture in the Mohun Bagan back four that went on to secure the 2015 I-League title. The 22-year-old played for FC Pune City in the first edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) and will turn out for them again this time around. The defender has impressed in his performances this year and earned his first international cap against Nepal this March.

Sandesh Jhingan is unsurprisingly in the running for the award as well. After being one of the best Indian players in last year's ISL with Kerala Blasters FC and being named the tournament's 'Emerging Player', he featured for Sporting Clube de Goa in the I-League who had a good second half to their season. He was also rewarded with a debut for the national team in March.

Jayesh Rane was one of Mumbai FC's few creative forces in the I-League this past season and finds himself among the nominess as well. He made his debut for the India U23s this year and represented Chennaiyin FC in last year's ISL.

Having scored nine times in 22 appearances for Pune in the 2014-15 I-League campaign, Thongkhosiem Haokip has been one of the premier young footballers in the country and gets a nomination too. The 22-year-old is set to play for FC Goa in the upcoming ISL season.

The youngest among this year's nominees is Udanta Singh from Bengaluru FC. The 19-year-old is an exciting player who plies his trade either as a winger or forward. His goal against Persipura Jayapura in May made him the youngest Indian goal scorer in the AFC Cup. Bengaluru opted to exclude the promising youngster from the ISL draft and sent him on a training stint at English club Oxford United in the League 2 instead.

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Claim From India: Wayne Rooney Set To Promote ISL In India Later This Year

Indian Super League outfit Atletico de Kolkata’s co-owner Sourav Ganguly has claimed that Wayne Rooney will be in India later this year to promote the tournament. 

The ISL started last season and a number of football stars, of past and present, such as Nicolas Anelka and Robert Pires, took part in the first edition of the competition.

The tournament is set to get under way again this October and the organisers and owners are looking to rope in even bigger names to promote the new brand.

Brazil legend Pele is set to visit the country at the start of next month and according to Ganguly, the tournament has managed to rope in England captain Rooney to further their cause. 

The former Indian cricket team captain was quoted as saying by Times of India: "Rooney will be coming here as part of the ISL, so it will not just be about Pele.”

It has been suggested that the Manchester United captain will be in India during the international break in November, when England take on Spain and France in friendly fixtures.

Since he will not have any club commitments, it remains to be seen whether Roy Hodgson will be ready to excuse the Manchester United talisman from at least one of the matches to allow him to visit India.

Rooney’s visit could be a huge shot in the arm for a tournament at its nascent stage.

Brazil legends Zico and Lucio train FC Goa at Dubai Sports City

Brazilian football legends Zico and Lucio are putting FC Goa through their paces at a Dubai Sports City pre-season training camp.

The duo have been drafed in by the Indian side to help with preparations ahead of October's Indian Super League campaign.

Zico took up the manager’s role at FC Goa in 2013 having managed national sides such as Iraq and Japan and has also managed at some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs such as Fenerbache.

“Dubai Sports City is outstanding, the perfect place for us as a team to train,” Zico said. “The conditions are perfect as long as we train in the morning and at night and the players feel very comfortable here.

“The players are in really good condition and the weather is similar here in Dubai to Goa so it works really well for us,” Zico continued. “We have many new players with us this season so to get away as a team and bond before the season starts is really important.”

Lucio, who enjoyed an 11-year spell playing for Brazil and captained the side to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa, joined FC Goa this summer and is looking forward to the new challenge.

“For me this is a great move, I feel good and it’s a privilege to work with the team and help improve where we can,” Lucio said.

Dubai Sports City is used to hosting top-flight sporting teams including English Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Swansea City as well as welcoming many international cricket sides to their facilities.

FC Goa finished third in the Indian Super League last season and Zico was in no doubt about his reasoning for joining the club back in 2014.

“I like to be challenged and at Goa I have found my latest challenge,” Zico explained. “It is a new league and I hope that my experience in football will help the league and FC Goa grow.

The Indian Super League is a season that resembles the format of the IPL, kicking off in October with the finals being played at the end of December but the three-time Brazil World Cup player said he would like to see the league grow into a full season.

“I like to oversee the development of my players and if I can help the league develop too that will be good. It will take time, at the moment it is only three months but to get to a point where it can be a full season will be a good achievement.”

A player that can help push FC Goa to the championship title this season is new recruit, Lucio. The former Inter and Juventus man who was a rock at the heart of the Brazilian defense for 11 years has joined Goa this summer.

Zico said of Lucio: “To have players of the highest standard is only going to help the team, I’m delighted to have Lucio with us.”

Lucio played in three World Cups for Brazil and is delighted to still be playing and helping his team-mates at FC Goa.

“For me it is a privilege to play at FC Goa and work with Zico,” Lucio said. “I am still loving football and to work with our Indian players is delightful, they are really committed.”

FC Goa will be based at Dubai Sports City for 15 days taking advantage of all of their facilities including the indoor FIFA-licensed Football Dome as well as the outdoor pitches, fitness facilities and F&B offerings.