Coaches gave up on me once but I have no regrets, admits Adil Khan

Adil Khan is one of the best defenders that India has at the moment, with him featuring for the Blue Tigers on a regular basis. But his claim to fame came late in his career, with the defender overcoming many obstacles. Having started his senior career for Churchill Brothers FC in 2008, he subsequently played for clubs like Mohun Bagan, Dempo, and Delhi Dynamos following which he moved to Pune City FC, where he re-established himself as a footballer. The footballer has come a long way from his U17 national camp, which he missed due to health concerns. 

"I had an issue of haemoglobin for some time. I struggled for a month or two while at the academy. We had a U-17 national team camp, a coach was to come to the academy to select players and I was unlucky. Doctors told me not to play, said I might get a stroke (if I continued to play football). So I missed that camp due to that,” recalled Adil Khan, during an Instagram session with the Football Dugout.

With his rock-solid defending duties at the back, Khan also scored the all-important goal against Bangladesh in the World Cup qualifiers last year to help India salvage a point from the game, making him such a versatile player. Even though the Goa-based footballers suffered a lot of injuries in his career, he has no regrets about them.

"I struggled with injuries. Coaches, owners gave up on me. It was difficult for me to manage all things being a young player. I didn't have enough experience but it got better. Whatever happened, happened for a reason and I made a comeback. No regrets,” added the footballer.