Kerala Blasters' Sachin Suresh, at 19, is already emerging as top goalkeeper

KOCHI:  If you watch Sachin Suresh play for the first time, he could easily make you believe that he is among the senior players of the team. The maturity, the confidence and above all, the composure with which he marshals the goalposts and instructs his team mates on the field gives out the impression that he’s been playing the game for ages.

One could say, the only indicator of his tender age, is his youthful face. Though he just turned 19, Sachin is already emerging as one of the top goalkeepers to come out of the state in recent times.

The fact that Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters snapped him up from FC Kerala recently is testimony to that.While his commanding presence on a football pitch is commendable, the way he articulates his thoughts is another indication of his innate leadership qualities. Despite signing for a club as big as Kerala Blasters, Sachin keeps his feet firmly on the ground.

“This is just the first step. I have to prove myself with the reserve team first and if I put in the hard work, I know I can take the next step in my career. It’s all a process,” said Sachin. If he performs well, he will be promoted to the senior team. That’s a route which was taken by a few others before him, like Sahal Abdul Samad. Sachin’s target remains the senior team, but his career trajectory suggests that he is ready to bide his time, wait for the right opportunities and continue developing.

“We have seen a few instances in the past where young players get fast-tracked into the ISLand they struggle. I want to continue developing my skill and experience as much as I can. Hopefully, in a year’s time, I will be ready for the senior team and the ISL,” he said. Inspired by his father Suresh A M, who was a goalkeeper, Sachin began his footballing journey at age seven.

His early lessons were at the Farook Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode, having moved there from JMJ English Medium HSS, Athani. He went on to be part of the Indian team in various age categories, with the highlight of his career being the game in 2018 when the U-20 team he was a part of beat Argentina in COTIF Cup.

He also featured in the Kerala team for the Santosh Trophy last year and was an integral part of the FC Kerala for three seasons. His move to Kerala Blasters comes at a good time in his fledgling career but he doesn’t want to stop with this. “The ambition is always to play for India. And if an opportunity comes, then go abroad and gain some exposure. But for now, my focus is on Blasters and I’m going to give it my all,” said the talented youngster.