Transition from youth to senior team helped us gain maturity, says Jeje Lalpekhlua
Jeje Lalpekhlua has stated that the promotion from age-group teams to the senior football team of India gave him feel a sense of greater responsibility and showcase a character of maturity during the games. He also said that Colm Toal helped to instil discipline as a football player, in his life.
Jeje Lalpekhlua became popular due to his tremendous game at the Wai Wait cup in Mizoram. This made the selectors give him a place in the state team of Mizoram for the Santosh Trophy tournament, at a tender age of 16 years. Jeje's performance at the Santosh trophy caught youth coach, Colm Toal's attention who also examined his game at the U-19 selection camp at Gwalior. Hehe cleared the trials and got selected for the youth team.
On 23 February 2011 Lalpekhlua played his first game and scored his first goal for the Indian U-23 team in the 2–1 victory over the Myanmar U-23 team. On 21 March 2011, Lalpekhlua made his debut for the senior India national football team in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification against Chinese Taipei and scored a goal. Ever Since then, Jeje never looked back and kept following his dreams to emerge as one of the best goal scorers in the history of Indian football.
Jeje has stated that his transition from the youth team to the senior team made him feel a sense of greater responsibility which eventually helped him to get showcase a mature character on the field.
“It helped a lot for me. The maturity, the international game experience which we gained in the age-group tournaments helped us a lot while we went on to represent the senior team. The difference between international and domestic football is huge. The players, who join the national team directly, feel the heat instantly. It's really tough to adapt to international football. It helped us heavily rising through the ranks of age-group teams,” he said.Â
Jeje has shared the dressing room along with brilliant players like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Pritam Kotal, Pronay Halder, Narayan Das, in the U-19, U-22 as well as U-23 age-groups besides plying his trade in the 2010 Asian Games. He also mentioned
“We have been playing together since long and it has helped us immensely building the team-spirit from a tender age. Representing the nation in the AFC Competitions as well as Asian Games taught us the competitive level and toughness of the international football,” he quoted.
Colm Toal was the first youth coach that picked up Jeje and gave him a place in the U-19 national team. Jeje mentions that Toal has not only helped him evolve as a
“Colm sir helped us bring the discipline in our life. It was the first time when I stepped out of Mizoram and everything was like a newer world to me. I felt flabbergasted but his caring nature eased the tension off gradually. We learnt minute details of the footballer’s life in the likes of discipline in life, diet, work-out routine and many more,” he stated.
The current U-16 national football team of India has already begun its campaign at the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship and managed to earn 4 points after two games. Jeje spoke largely of the young lads and stated that he believes that they are capable enough of carrying forward a strong legacy built by him along with his fellow mates from the senior team.
“Our U-16 team are doing very good. Winning against Vietnam and drawing with Iran underline their football acumen. Their football sense is so sound. They are capable of doing much better and the future is brighter for these boys", he added, "They have a big match tomorrow and they just need to continue doing the job to overcome Indonesia,” Jeje concluded.Â
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