Indian soccer8217;s English summer

Bury, a second division soccer club in England, were a little worried. Injuries were piling up and their latest recruit from India wasn't...

Bury, a second division soccer club in England, were a little worried. Injuries were piling up and their latest recruit from India wasn8217;t getting his work permit. That was last week and the dimunitive Indian, the first ever to receive an English call-up, waited in Delhi for word from Bury. The message finally arrived on Wednesday, and Baichung Bhutia started off on his one-way trip to England.

The journey has started for Bhaichung Bhutia: a journey no Indian has undertaken before and his Indian fans are keeping their fingers crossed. He has talent in abundance, but doubts still persist about the physique bit.

How will the small-built Indian standing just 5quot;6, face the big defenders in English soccer? That, only Bhutia can. The Bhutia story began about 23 years ago in Sikkim where his parents were moderately well off. 8220;I could have picked up any game, but I wanted to play football.8221; Bhutia grew up in a surrounding where the game is a passion and he too was smitten by it. He learned his dribbling skillson the fields of Gangtok.

Early nineties found him in Calcutta with bigger things in mind. Picked up by East Bengal, Bhutia was soon to become an important part of their team. A few other players came into prominence along with him. In fact, in 8217;93 he blossomed in the shadows of teammates like Carlton Chapman and Kiron Khongsai. The glare was on Chapman after he scored three goals in East Bengal8217;s 6-2 win over Iraq8217;s Al Zawra in Asia Cup Winners Cup. Bhutia remained on the fringes. For the next year couple of years, Bhutia still in his teens, was at the forefront of the East Bengal attack. By 8217;95, he was an integral part of the Indian team, managing the attack with IM Vijayan. He scored twice for India against Sri Lanka in the SAARC tournament and then fetched them a victory over Uzbekistan in the Nehru Cup. Those were his early games for India and he went on to play in 40 games scoring 25 goals till left to play for Bury.

Bhutia moved north to JCT Mills Phagwara where he was offered much more money. Hecould have shifted to Malaysia too, but the Punjab side was paying enough to keep him happy.

He returned to East Bengal in 8217;97 and impressed the J-League managers by scoring twice against Kawasaky Verde in Japan in an Asia Cup Winners Cup match. Talks of his moving abroad had started by then. Again in the Asian Games in 1998, rumours floated that Japanese sides were interested in him. However, he had his sights set for Europe.

Aston Villa, the first division side in English League invited him for a trial in early this year, but did not find him good enough. Bhutia was dejected and admitted feeling low, but vowed to return to England for more trials.

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8220;No one cares for you when you are not doing well,8221; Bhutia said after Villa8217;s rejection. He did not sign for any club in India as he still hoped some side in England would pick him up. Yet, there was an element of uncertainty in him. He was going for broke: either a stint in English league or a year in wilderness. 8220;I guess I have no choice,8221; he said.Another English rejection would have meant a mid-season choice between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, something he did not relish. He did return to England in June, toning down his ambitions a little this time. If he was not good for first division, he would start at the second, he decided.

Bury was willing to take him and Bhutia grabbed the opportunity. It is a step towards realisations of his ambitions.