It's been steady strides to the top for Mayakannan
A product of the Raman Vijayan football school, Mayakannan spent his college days playing football for St Joseph’s College, Tiruchy.
Mayakannan Irulandi in Sreenidi Deccan colours last season
CHENNAI: It hasn’t been the easiest of journeys to the top for Ramanathapuram’s Mayakannan Muthu Irulandi, who has recently signed a two-year contract with NorthEast United Football Club (NEUFC) for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season.
A product of the Raman Vijayan football school, Mayakannan spent his college days playing football for St Joseph’s College, Tiruchy.
Mayakannan is one of the lucky few who were able to take part in the Chennai League for two seasons (2017, 2018) for Viva Chennai and Chennai United, and after a string of good performances, the defensive midfielder moved to Gokulam Kerala, where he had to prove his mettle and climb up the ranks from the reserves to the senior team.
During his days in Kerala, he played in the Kerala Premier League and also the I-League. The icing on the cake was winning the prestigious Durand Cup in 2019 and the I-League the following season with the Malabarians.
Mayakannan was with Sreenidi Deccan last season and he played 10 games for the club before moving to NEUFC.
“We finished third during my first season at Deccan and second in the next two seasons. It was a dream to play the ISL and it also helps in getting picked for the national team,” said Mayakannan to DT Next.
He had offers from ISL clubs last year, but was not able to make the move owing to various reasons.
“I was approached by three different teams this season but I chose NEUFC because they promised me game-time. Also, after a brief discussion with Juan Pedro Benali, I understood that my philosophy aligns with that of the club and my role was clearly defined,” he added.
Mayakannan is currently in Assam, having joined the NEUFC camp for the upcoming Durand Cup. Miles away from home, a thought lingers in his mind about the future of football in the State. "Youngsters these days are thinking twice about choosing football because there is no proper pathway. College-level footballers have to go to a different State to play in tournaments and seek opportunities," he added.
With the Tamil Nadu Football Federation inactive and their plea to form a temporary committee to look after footballing affairs in the State dismissed by the Supreme Court earlier this year, the Chennai League, that proved to be a pathway to Santosh Trophy or Durand Cup, remains shut.
