Arsene Wenger believes Indian Football is a 'Gold Mine' which needs exploration

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Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has high hopes for Indian football and believes the talent pool in India needs to be utilized as there is no dearth of it.

The legendary Frenchman, who was at the Arsenal helm for 22 years, is currently in India as FIFA's chief of global football development.

And Wenger says the country needs a poke so that the football dynamic improves in the coming years.

"My target is to improve football in the world. And it is impossible that a country like India, 1.4 billion, is not on the football world map," Wenger said during his visit on Monday.

"My main target here is to convince people that there is a gold mine here, but at the moment it is not completely explored, exploited and encouraged," he added during a meeting with AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey.

Arsene Wenger was with Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight before he arrived in North London, and believes India can emulate Japan's surge in global football.

"I was in Japan at the start of their football in 1995. In 1998, they were at the World Cup. So that means it is possible. You have to start early.

"I believe you have huge assets, fantastic qualities that make me very optimistic about what you can do here," Wenger concluded.

Wenger will be travelling to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday where he will inaugurate a world-class academy, a joint venture of AIFF and FIFA. The former Gunners boss is also set to visit the Kalinga Stadium later in the day to watch the Indian Football team in action against Qatar.