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

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

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'Playing for the Indian Football team felt like a dream'

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

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

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The 24-year-old currently plies his trade for Mumbai City FC. He recently appeared in his 50th ISL game for the franchise. Farukh's success in the ISL over the years saw him being called up to the national side where he lined up alongside his inspiration and Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. The 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 not sink in until my international debut. Playing in Pune FC's academy, I-League, ISL was manageable 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 teenager helped my development’

Farukh Choudhary has had a journeyman career so far, playing for the likes of Pune FC, Lonestar Kashmir, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai FC, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC. He also had his fair share of hardships and was rejected as a 12-year-old by Mumbai FC during their U-15 trials that went on for months. Farukh had made the initial 26-man squad but was left out of the final 20. The 24-year-old reveals while he was angry and disappointed at not making the 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 the CFG backed Mumbai City FC in the summer. Despite his achievements over this decade, 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 the rest, professionalism has been next level'

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

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

In his fifth ISL season, Farukh has faced off against quality foreign players either on the pitch or in training. While the overseas recruits have taken the ISL by storm, Choudhary believes that the Indian players are not far off and can certainly bridge that gap. The24-year-old believes that Indian players start their football education and training very late, which is one of the key reasons why they are trailing in comparison to overseas players who start their sporting education as young as five-year-old kids. 

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

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

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

Farukh Choudhary's rise to the upper tiers of football from the small town of Ambernath is an inspirational story and one closely followed by thousands of budding footballers across the country. The 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 the Mumbai City FC star believes there has to be faith on both ends of the spectrum to make it work.

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

Farukh Choudhary has made giant strides this decade and has all the makings to be one of the stars of the Indian football team. His teammate Adam Le Fondre in a recent media interaction said that the 24-year-old is one of the brightest stars of Indian football and Mumbai City FC, Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC and all his other clubs can duly testify to that. At 24, Farukh has more than a decade of football left in him and has already braved challenges only a few go through. The Mumbai City FC winger is an inspiration to the many who are chasing the dream of playing the beautiful game. In the coming years, the whole world and the 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.

(Image Courtesy: Farukh Choudhary Instagram)