Former India football captain Carton Chapman dies

 Former India football captain and mid-fielder Carlton Chapman, who formed a dely trio at club level with Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan in 1990s, died on Monday following a heart attack in Bengaluru.

He was 49.Chapman was hospitalised on Sunday night at a hospital in Bengaluru and passed away early this morning.

"I got a call from Bengaluru from one of his friends that Chapman is more. He passed away early this morning. He was a happy-go-lucky man, always smiling and rey to help ors," Chapman's one-time India team-mate Bru Coutinho told PTI from Goa.

A creative midfielder, Chapman played for India between 1995 and 2001 and country won 1997 SAFF Cup under his captaincy.At club level, he h two successful spells with East Bengal and one with w defunct JCT Mills.

A product of Tata Football Acemy in early 1990s, Chapman joined East Bengal in 1993 and scored a hat-trick in his team's 6-2 win against Iraq club Al Zawra in a first round match at Asian Cup Winners Cup that year.

But his best came after moving to JCT in 1995.Chapman won 14 trophies with Punjab-based club, including inaugural National Football League in 1996-97, and formed a formidable combination with Vijayan and Bhutia.

"He was like a younger bror to me. We were practically family. This is t an easy loss to take," Vijayan told -aiff.com.

He was a really nice person, both on and off pitch. Generally, things do get heated at times when you are on pitch as a footballer, but I do t remember him ever getting angry at anyone.Chapman h also joined w-defunct FC Kochin. But after one season, he returned to East Bengal in 1998 and club won NFL under his captaincy in 2001. He anunced his retirement from professional football in 2001.

"Carlton-da was such a nice person. He was a year or two senior to us but he used to take care of us and guide us in various matters," said former India striker Dipendu Biswas, who was a cet with Chapman at Tata Football Acemy.

I remember he would even take us out for dinner on weekends, back when we were at Acemy." Biswas recalled how Chapman played a role in his first goal in a Kolkata Derby.I remember we were both in East Bengal at that time and I mand to score my first ever goal in a Kolkata Derby. cross h in fact come from Carlton-da. I can't even begin to tell you how special that moment was for me, he said.

I still have that picture with him in my room. That first derby goal is always special, and I am happy to have shared that moment with Carlton-da.As coach, Chapman h stints with I-League second division club Tata Football Acemy, Royal Wahingdoh FC of Shillong and Sudeva Moonlight FC of Delhi before becoming Technical Director of Kozhikode-based Quartz International Football Acemy in 2017.

"He h been coaching for a long time after he was done with his playing career, and was bringing through some talented players," said Coutinho.