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Post by QPR Report on Jan 2, 2010 8:22:21 GMT
I wonder if Steve Gallen is in India coaching for QPR! Strangely: Been absolutely nothing on the Official site re the recent QPR/Indian involvement. Maybe that will changePress Trust of India -'Indian football needs big names to get inspiration'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAFF WRITER 12:48 HRS IST Mumbai, Jan 2 (PTI) India needs a Sachin Tendulkar-like role in football for kids to take up the game in the country, feels English club side Queens Park Rangers FC's Youth Development manager Stephen Gallen. "For kids to take up football in India, they should have home-grown role s. Having heroes in the English Premier League is OK but you need more local ones to inspire you," Gallen told PTI here. "They need to have someone like Sachin Tendulkar is for cricket players. They (kids) flaunt the jerseys of Manchester United, Liverpool, or Chelsea but I haven't seen them wearing jerseys of the local football clubs," he said. "While I was growing up, I had two-three players from Ireland who inspired me to take up the sport," he added. www.ptinews.com/news/449659_-Indian-football-needs-big-names-to-get-inspiration-
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 2, 2010 8:24:00 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Jan 2, 2010 9:09:59 GMT
Update: Fuller article and Gallen is in India 'Indian football needs a Tendulkar' Sat-Jan 02, 2010 Mumbai / Press Trust of India India needs a Sachin Tendulkar-like role model in football for kids to take up the game in the country, feels Engliosh club side Queens Park Rangers FC's Youth Development manager Stephen Gallen. "For kids to take up football in India, they should have home-grown role models. Having heroes in the English Premier League is OK but you need more local ones to inspire you," Gallen told PTI here. "They need to have someone like Sachin Tendulkar is for cricket players. They (kids) flaunt the jerseys of Manchester United, Liverpool, or Chelsea but I haven't seen them wearing jerseys of the local football clubs," he said. "While I was growing up, I had two-three players from Ireland who inspired me to take up the sport," he added. The 36-year old Irishman, who represented his country in U-18 and U-21 football and has coached QPR FC's U-16 and U-18 team, felt aspiring footballers should practice in a competitive environment. "Playing a game in a month is not a solution but they need to practise in a competent environment, that will test them and improve them," he said. Gallen is in the city to shortlist two local kids to train with QPR FC for a two-month stint. Thirty school children, including six girls, were selected for the camp during the South Mumbai Soccer Challenge held here last month. "The shortlisted kids will get an opportunity to train with their counterparts at the QPR. If they are good enough they may even get an opportunity to represent the club in the future," Gallen said. Gallen feels the city's kids have to work hard to match their English counterparts as far as technique and fighting spirit were concerned. "Technically, the English kids are better. But one of the reasons for that is these kids start their training at a very young age. Besides, football is very popular in England. There is a lot of pressure even in the U-14 matches. The kids there don't hesitate to give it their all," he said. "These players (pointing towards the practising players in the camp) love playing too and have some good players. But sometimes I feel that they don't really fight as hard. They need to tackle harder, run harder, shoot harder," Gallen said.
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