Hopefully, we can work together for the development of grassroots football here: Tottenham Hotspur lege

MUMBAI: Knowledge sharing and exchange of relevant expertise is the key to develop coordination and take the game of football forward, especially in developing geographies. In that context, Tottenham Hotspur (THFC) legends Ledley King and Ossie Ardiles and Ossie Ardiles held a special workshop for Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) coaches in Mumbai.

The team at Spurs conducted both a theoretical and practical demonstration of the coaching methodology prevalent at their setup with the hope of enriching the emerging tacticians rising through the RFYS ranks.

“The collaboration (between Tottenham Hotspur and RFYS) was really good. We try to engross ourselves in communities wherever we travel. India has a big passion for football over here. We have gotten a chance to engage with them, and hopefully, we can work together more for the development of grassroots football here,” Ledley said in an interaction.

He added, “It takes time to grow a game; you can’t be winning major tournaments all of a sudden. You have to put the right steps in place at the youth level and hopefully, in 15-20 years, we can see the hard work of everyone coming together at the world level. The talent is there, now it’s about building the infrastructure and training the coaches here to realise their potential.”

In addition to that, the Spurs duo also participated in a footballing session with young players from the RFYS ecosystem. There were female match officials in attendance as well, enhancing the headcount which is one of the objectives in the RFYS 2023-24 season.

Ledley mentioned that spotting talents at a young age and nurturing them over the years is essential to help develop muscle memory regarding the sport within the players. He quipped that it’s a proven formula used for success by the topmost footballing nations and the RFYS is addressing that by overseeing the participation of over 1650 teams and 24,000 athletes in the ongoing campaign.

“Around the world, the best footballers start playing from a very young age. Anything that you do in life, if you start earlier, you can learn your lessons quicker along the way. It's fundamental, that people pick up things quicker at a young age and that gives them experience along the way,” Ledley quipped.

“Playing time is fundamental, when you are young and learning, you want to put that in the matches. I always encourage people to play at a level where they can get game time. Be in a team where you can have time on the pitch. Sometimes, you see young people playing in a team where the level is too high for them. You have to find the right fit and right team,” he signed off.

Meanwhile, Ardiles invited the RFYS coaches to come over to the Tottenham facility in North London, England to gain further experience and enhance their skill sets. The Argentine international encouraged the development of a bilateral engagement that can enable greater interaction between tacticians from both sides.

"You need good teachers in all walks of life. Coaches need experience; maybe they can come to Tottenham and benefit from a two-way system," Ardiles mentioned.