“No one in my hometown thought that they would see me on TV,” said FC Pune City forward Muhammed Ashique Kuruniyan, who hails from a diminutive village in Kerala. The fifth child in the family, the winger’s fortunes changed after the open trials for former I-league team Pune FC and the when he went as a loan spell to Spanish Club Villareal ‘C’ FC.

Kuruniyan returned to India earlier this year following a hamstring injury at the Spanish youth team and since then he has been waiting on the sidelines to make a mark. The 20-year old came on as a substitute for Pune City FC that became his debut in this edition of the Indian Super League. For now he wants to focus on the game and get maximum playtime and then think about returning to Europe.

At his school in Kerala, Ashique  never played football until his school physical education teacher made him play in the absence of their striker. “Since I had won medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres track, my PT teacher thought that I would do well in the team,” recalls Ashique. Surprisingly, he performed well in that match and since then football has been his sport.

He got into an academy soon and his career started shaping up. In 2014, when he was only 17, the striker-turned-winger was informed about the open trials for I-league club, Pune FC. After getting selected, he created a name for himself far away from home. He did not care much about the new environment in Pune, one that is totally different from the one in Kerala. “I wanted to play football, the people around me didn’t matter much,” he says.

His dream run did not end there as he was signed on loan by Villareal for their ‘C’ team. Soon, clips of his skills were all over social media. A kid from Kerala who aspired to become an athlete, went on to train with a La Liga club’ youth academy at the age of 19. Unfortunate Ashique, had to return home after his injury and now he has wait for first team action at Pune City FC. “It is always tough getting into the team after an injury. The club has treated me well and I will try to do my best to return,” he reiterates.

He grew up working at a sugarcane shop earning only 80 rupees a day. He featured in the national team on the Under-20 level as well. Now that the lanky winger is growing up, he is feeling the pressure of making it to the senior team. “It was easier when I was young. The competition is much stiffer right now to break in to the team,” he says.