The new Kerala Super League is set for an August start and the search is on for quality players for the six franchises in the fray.
One player, who could be high on every team’s list is E. Sajeesh. The Kerala Police striker, who impressed in the Santosh Trophy’s preliminary stage in October and in the ongoing Kerala Premier League, is being watched by other teams and coaches with much interest.
The KPL, which enters the semifinal stage here on Thursday, does not allow foreign players this year and Kerala United coach Saheed Sunkanmi Ramon feels Sajeesh’s presence gives the Police a big advantage.
“The only striker who is close to the standard of foreigners is Sajeesh,” said the Nigeria-born Ramon, a former coach of Kolkata’s Mohammedan Sporting, in a chat with Sportstar here on Wednesday.
And Ramon, who coached Kerala United to its maiden KPL title last season, explained why Sajeesh is so good.
“He is strong enough to hold the ball till the other players arrive and he has good positioning. He is very fast and his finishing ability is good... these are the qualities of a good striker. He is good in air too.
“You polish him properly, he will be a very good player.”
India failed to score a single goal in the recent AFC Asian Cup in Doha, sinking without earning a point, and Ramon feels players like Sajeesh could help the national team’s cause.
But there is a hitch.
“Sajeesh is only playing for Police and not professionally in bigger leagues because of his Police job. We are lacking a player of that quality in the national team. This kind of striker should be allowed to play professionally in higher leagues like the ISL and I-League.”
Sajeesh, from Alanallur Village in Palakkad, started playing football at 12 and the big breaks started coming after he joined Perinthalmanna’s ISS Arts and Science College and later played for Calicut University.
“That college was the turning point of my career. Later, after I had finished as the Bangalore Super Division’s top scorer (club: FC Deccan), I was selected to the Kerala Blasters reserve team,” said the 26-year-old whose father is a daily-wage earner.
And he came close to getting into the Blasters’ ISL team just before last season. “But there was the Kerala Police trials around that time and since I wanted a job badly, I joined there,” he said.
He dreams of playing for India soon and is hungry to play in bigger clubs to get there.
“I have been getting offers from I-League clubs, even from Bengal, and I hope my department allows me play there.
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Police coach C. Shimjith feels playing for bigger clubs will help everybody.
“When we play for bigger clubs, our football will improve. That will help the Police team, State and country. Not only players, even coaches,” he said.
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