Former Liverpool livewire stresses on strong grassroot set up

New Delhi, Feb 7 (UNI) India can rise to the top bracket of world football inside a decade's time by developing a well- structured training set up of the grass-root level, feels former England and Liverpool full back Philip Neal.

Here for a training camp for school kids, Neal, who played for his country in the 1982 World Cup and won four European Cup titles for Liverpool between 1977 and 1984, said top class training facilities, a football culture among youngsters, emphasis on physical and mental development were required to produce a talent pool for rise in football standard.

Comparing with India's place as a top-ranked cricketing country, Neal said, ''Here young boys play cricket everyday.

They are given training from the grass-root level and you have facilities for doing this. Why can't it been done for football.

''It is OK that cricket can be your number one sport, but you can have other three or four other sports and football can one of them,'' said Neal, even as he confessed that he knew little about Indian football.

He said that India should have football centres in 10 big cities, equipped with top grade training facilities for grass-root to the senior level with several age group levels in between and professional leagues in each city.

His companion and Liverpool Community coaching manager Bill Bygroves was happy with the enthusiasm shown by the school boys at the camp.

He said he was mainly concentrating on developing TABS -- technique, attitude, balance and speed -- among the boys.

The camp was organised by adidas India in collaboration with Zee Sports to promote football at the grassroot level.

More than 300 school boys selected by the organisers from a tournament held earlier are attending the February 6-16 camp in two batches everyday.

Four coaches from Liverpool, besides Neal and Bygroves, will impart training to 20 boys in each batch.

UNI