ISL | I will cherish āthatā goal always, feel very fortunate to be remembered fondly, says Sushanth Mathew
Former Kerala Blasters midfielder Sushanth Mathew, who retired from professional football, has stated that he will cherish the goal against Chennaiyin in the inaugural ISL's semifinal. The midfielder also spoke about his near career-ending injury while playing with Pune City FC in ISL season two.
41-year old midfielder Mathew finally hung up his boots from professional football after playing at the top level football for over 20 years, But his most cherishable memory would always be the wonder goal in the first ISL season, which has etched the player in people's memory him playing only 56 minutes for the side that season.Ā The goal had ensured Kerala a 3-0 win in their backyard, which was crucial for they went on to lose 3-1 in the reverse fixture and stillĀ reached the finals against ATK. However, they could not win the summit clash.
"I must say I have a lot of fantastic memories from my football career - sharing dressing rooms and playing with world football stars, etc. But āthatā goal, I will cherish always. That goal made me a hero to the Kerala fans, I so adore, almost overnight. I still get messages from fans and well-wishers saying that they still have goosebumps whenever they watch that goal. A lot of them keep insisting that it is the best goal in Hero ISL so far. I feel very fortunate to be remembered so fondly." said Sushanth Mathew to ISL website in an exclusive interview.
Sushanth's goal is still one of the best in ISL. It was special because Sushant received the ball almost 40 yards out, and he cut it past Manchester United's Mikael Silvestre and legendary Italian world cup winner Alessandro Nesta before scoring. The goal sentĀ anĀ electric jolt all over the Kochi stadium.
"It was a huge deal for me being from Kerala. It was a valuable goal which helped the Blasters reach the first-ever Hero ISL final. It meant a lot for everyone in the squad and me too!" said Sushnath.
The following season Sushnath played for Pune City in ISL, however, the stint was short-lived as he was dangerously tackled by French legend Florent Malouda, who was then playing for Delhi Dynamos. Sushanth could only play six more games in his final ISL season.
"That was a really dark time for me. To be honest, it was a very dangerous tackle. I was a bit heartbroken that the tackle came from a great World Cup player like Malouda. I was a huge fan of the France team he played in and even put up a big team poster of that team in my town before the World Cup. After that injury, I couldnāt play again that whole season. I regained my fitness after a lot of treatments and rehab, but was never quite the same as I was before it." Sushanth said.
"But I was strong, never surrendered, worked hard and managed to play for a few more years. As we all know, as professional players, these all are part of this beautiful game," Sushanth further added.
Sushnath also hailed the passionate Kerala fans "I loved playing wherever I played but yes, I still do miss that Kochi stadium, wearing that yellow jersey and playing in front of these electrifying fans. Fans are the real motivation for every performer and Iām fortunate to have felt the warmth from the Kerala fans. Their love and passion are unbelievable. Hats off."
The midfielder then went on to praise Indian Super League for its contribution to the development of Indian football āWell, because of the Hero ISL, Indian footballās future is really bright. After Hero ISL's inception in 2014, our nation's football culture and the entire atmosphere has changed. You know, every kid wants to play football now. Parents want to send their children to football academies, almost everyone started watching live football, lots of academies came up across the nation. Because of the Hero ISL, our local players are getting the chance to rub shoulders with international players and learn more about the game." Sushanth added.
The Kerala born midfielder then revealed why he chose to hang up the boots, "Actually I wanted to play on for one or two more seasons but my present situation won't allow me. I have to stay away from home for so many days and also, my fitness is not perfect like before. By the grace of God, I have played for over 20 years. I have been fortunate that I was able to go on for so long but it was the time to hang up my boots." Sushanth concluded.
