Kolkata: A UK-based football coach, who runs an independent scouting organisation in Alvechurch, will be in India to give a fillip to the country’s scouting system, national coach Stephen Constantine today said. Derek Bragg, who had helped out Portugal during their qualification to World Cup 2010, will arrive in July and conduct workshop for scouts in India.
“He’s a very talented scout at English Premier League level. He will come to India for two three days and will educate our scouts what they should be looking at,” Constantine said. “When you watch a football game with Derek it’s an education in itself.” Former India International Abhishek Yadav was recently appointed as Director of Scouting in a bid to give boost for India’s upcoming U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017. The AIFF has Nicolai Adam as the head coach of the India U-17 national team and the senior national coach said the German has a tough job at hand. “In my humble opinion there should not be any difference between an Indian player, a German, Brazilian, Italian or English. The difference will be the physical and mental aspect of it but purely from technical and tactical point of view our boys will be no less inferior to these. If they have the right foundation.”
On India’s chances in the U-17 World Cup, Constantine said, “It’s a 50 million dollar question. Nikolai has a very very difficult job. He’s a German, disciplined, hates losing, demands the best from his players.” “We’re trying to give them that foundation, organising as many exposure trips possible. Till December we’ll be looking for new players and then onwards. They have an opportunity to play the World Cup. We’re trying to help the U-17 teams.” Elaborating on the national scouting system, the 52-year-old Englishman said the scouts would hunt for talents from 15 states and would get bonus if their player makes the cut. “We have not had a national scouting system. The scouts are not all paid at the moment but in time they will be paid a base salary. They will also get incentives on the players they deliver.”
