There is too much focus on youngsters in Indian football, claims Mohammed Rafi
Indian International Mohammed Rafi feels that there is too much focus on youngsters in Indian football, as teams also need experienced players to help them win matches. The forward also stressed that young players get more affected by the pressure from the fans and get disappointed very easily.
Mohammed Rafi is one of the senior-most players in the Indian circuit at the moment, with the forward kick-starting his club career with SBT, back in 2004. The Kerala based player has come a long way since then, having made his International debut in 2009 and most recently featured for Kerala Blasters in the 2019/20 edition of the Indian Super League. The veteran admitted that there is too much focus on youngsters at the moment in Indian football, and revealed that a team needs experienced players to win matches.
"There is too much focus on youngsters. Teams do need experienced players also (to succeed). There are a lot of senior players who work harder than younger players, people don't see that. I have been playing football for around 18 years and for me, I have gained a lot of knowledge from my seniors," said Mohammed Rafi, to Goal.com.
Mohammed Rafi missed out most the last season due to injuries, having managed to play just a few matches in the entire tournament. The striker wants to stay and retire at Kerala Blasters FC and also wishes to work with the club post-retirement. The footballer, through his experience over the years, feels that young players get more affected by the pressure from the fans and in turn get disappointed more easily.
"The pressure from fans affects young players more. They become more disappointed easily due to verbal attacks. When a youngster plays well, they treat him as a star, when he doesn't do well in a game; he is treated as a nobody. I have seen this happen," added the footballer.