Shillong Lajong FC have been one of the few clubs in the country to have used the Under-22 rule to their advantage in the I-League and that has been their trend for the past few seasons.
Shillong Lajong FC have been one of the few clubs in the country to have used the Under-22 rule to their advantage in the I-League and that has been their trend for the past few seasons.
With focus on youth development, the club have been regularly enjoying the benefits of the planned structure.
Shillong Lajong FC head coach Thangboi Singto, an AFC pro-licence coach himself, candidly spoke about his U-22 players and much more.
Excerpts: On getting the best from a young squad: It’s an exciting challenge to churn out the best from the young, talented players. I have faith in the club management, the coaching staff and senior players who have the ability to deliver performances in the League. That in turn facilitates the development of the young players.
On using the U-22 rule to advantage: We had some 20 talented U-22 players in the squad and this season we fielded six to seven in every I-League game. They are playing because they deserve to play. And they have done well.
On the philosophy of the club: Since its inception, Lajong’s philosophy is to give opportunity to local talent and youth from Shillong and the North-East. We have continued this trend and hopefully it will pay more dividends. We keep it simple — all the players know that if they work hard, they will have more chances to play more in the starting XI than any other club playing in the League.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of club heads including chairman P.D. Sawyan, who have been propagating and continuing with this philosophy.
Lajong has been a regular recruiter of AIFF academy cadets and have regularly fielded them.
On the academy graduates: The graduates have been exposed to the best coaches and facilities with foreign exposure during their stay in the academy. All this makes them better in terms of play, decision-making, respect for the game and opponents and they are mentally very strong. And when they gel with Lajong’s philosophy, the progression for them becomes much quicker and productive. Once they mature, they stay eligible to represent the senior national team. We expect to continue the relationship.
