Mumbai City FC are a touch above the rest in the ISL 2020-21, believes Farukh Choudhary

If I h to meet and have a chat with Farukh Choudhary in 2010, I just h to walk across my school qurangle to ground where he, along with his teammates, played football for our school. w, ten years later, while I have settled behind my 'work from home desk', Farukh is a rewned footballer, with a blue tick on his Instagram handle and millions of young kids looking up to him. However, w Indian football star isn't settling for it just yet as he hopes to make an impact in ISL 2020-21 with Mumbai City FC. 

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'Playing for Indian Football team felt like a dream'

Farukh Choudhary's football journey began some sixty kilometres away from Mumbai Football Arena, where Mumbai City FC would have played ir home games this year if t for coronavirus pandemic.  journey from Ambernath to Andheri takes about an hour and a half to two hours irrespective of mode of transport you chose. To put it into perspective, an entire football match can be played in that time frame.

Furrmore, you're most likely to miss extra time and ensuing penalty shootout if you're travelling. t to forget traffic if you travel by ro or massive crowd that you have to tackle while switching transport lines for train travel. Even ults struggle to we through process but a teen Farukh did, an embodiment of Mumbai spirit which helped him chart his success.

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24-year-old currently plies his tre for Mumbai City FC. He recently appeared in his 50th ISL game for franchise. Farukh's success in ISL over years saw him being called up to national side where he lined up alongside his inspiration and Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. Mumbai City FC star, who aims to replicate Chhetri’s success and serve his country, revealed that playing for India was scarcely believable. 

When I first played for India, I wondered if this was real. I was always told that since childhood that I was a good player and could make it big, but it did t sink in until my international debut. Playing in Pune FC's acemy, I-League, ISL was manable and believable, but representing my country was something next level. It felt like a dream. 

- Farukh Choudhary on his international debut

‘Handling rejection as a teenr helped my development’

Farukh Choudhary has h a journeyman career so far, playing for likes of Pune FC, Lonestar Kashmir, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai FC, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC. He also h his fair share of hardships and was rejected as a 12-year-old by Mumbai FC during ir U-15 trials that went on for months. Farukh h me initial 26-man squ but was left out of final 20. 24-year-old reveals while he was angry and disappointed at t making cut. He enjoyed his football and believed it was necessary for his development as a footballer. Farukh played for Mumbai FC years after his rejection, but life came full circle after he signed for CFG backed Mumbai City FC in summer. Despite his achievements over this dece, Farukh is very much immersed in his roots and has credited his late coach Evaristo Cardoz and local club Diamonds FC for his footballing acumen.

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'Mumbai City FC are a level above rest, professionalism has been next level'

Before ISL 2020-21 season began, Farukh Choudhary, like everyone else, travelled to Goa and h to undergo 14 days of quarantine before being back on pitch. 24-year-old reveals that while it was difficult staying confined in hotel rooms, club h provided all facilities for players to keep up ir fitness. Farukh reveals that players were provided with ir own fitness regimes and workout routines to make ir life easier when back in training. He also reveals that while fitness regimes and workout routines are different at each club he has played at, level at Mumbai City FC is definitely up a tch and best he has experienced so far in his career. Farukh believes that professionalism at Islanders is one of best he has seen, and believes much of it has to go to ir recent takeover by City Football Group.

'We can bridge quality gap between Indian and foreign players' 

In his fifth ISL season, Farukh has faced off against quality foreign players eir on pitch or in training. While overseas recruits have taken ISL by storm, Choudhary believes that Indian players are t far off and can certainly bridge that gap. 24-year-old believes that Indian players start ir football education and training very late, which is one of key reasons why y are trailing in comparison to overseas players who start ir sporting education as young as five-year-old kids. 

We start playing football very late. All foreigners and exceptionally talented players start playing football at of five or six and have ir basics strong. And when one has ir basics right, it is easy to hone and develop or skills and game reing is simpler. Our basics are weak but rest assured, we can compete with m physically and mentally, and can surely bridge that gap with grassroots football and acemies coming across country. future is certainly bright

-Farukh Choudhary on difference between Indian and foreign players in ISL

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'I wouldn't have reached here if t for my family' 

Farukh Choudhary's rise to upper tiers of football from small town of Ambernath is an inspirational story and one closely followed by thousands of budding footballers across country. story hasn't been a fairytale by any means, and Farukh credits his family for having his back at all times. India is yet to truly embrace football as a career option, and Mumbai City FC star believes re has to be faith on both ends of spectrum to make it work.

24-year-old revealed that his family supported him from moment he decided to make a career with ball at his feet, and believes he was really lucky to have that support which pushed him harder to pursue his dream. Furr, Farukh stated that youngsters need to believe in mselves and ir ability and keep chasing ir dreams, and shouldn't shy away after first kckout punch. Farukh believes that it is important to work hard and remain patient for ir chance, which he believes will definitely arrive as footballing landscape across country changes. 

Farukh Choudhary has me giant strides this dece and has all makings to be one of stars of Indian football team. His teammate am Le Fondre in a recent media interaction said that 24-year-old is one of brightest stars of Indian football and Mumbai City FC, Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC and all his or clubs can duly testify to that. At 24, Farukh has more than a dece of football left in him and has alrey braved challenges only a few go through. Mumbai City FC winger is an inspiration to many who are chasing dream of playing beautiful game. In coming years, whole world and small town of Ambernath will hopefully be watching and chanting Farukh’s name as he showcases his skills and continues to make a name for himself.

(Im Courtesy: Farukh Choudhary Instagram)