From kicking footballs around public parks to the brink of India U-16 selection: The Thomas Cherian story

Thomas Cherian’s tryst with football started just five years ago, when the 11-year-old boy was kicking a football around parks in Delhi. Half a decade later, he was part of a group summoned by AIFF (All India Football Federation) for a national camp, to identify the squad for the next AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U-16 Championships. The footballer has lived an enviable journey so far, to say the least.

If the graph continues to rise, the youngster might see himself wearing the national colours at the Asian meet, which is also a potential qualifier for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. But Thomas, who is seen sharpening his skills at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar nowadays, still pinches himself to ensure he’s actually made it this far.

At nine years of age, he showed promise as a sprinter, but his parents were reluctant to support their son’s aspirations in sports. However, his father, Cherian Mathew, a sales executive, and mother, Mariamma Cherian, had a change of heart, eventually supporting their son's focus-shift to football. The elder of two kids, Thomas excelled as a striker initially, but soon developed an inclination towards the centre-half role.

“To be able to ensure that no goals are scored in the entire 90 minutes of a game is what made football attractive to me,” said the youngster.

However, with days passing by, Thomas’ parents realized that their son’s talent had to be channelized properly for the sake of his career. That’s when his uncle, Johncy, the only member of the family who played football, entered the scene. Knowing that his nephew’s talent was far beyond the ordinary, he urged the coaches at Gokulam Kerala FC Academy in Kozhikode to give Thomas a trial.

Already an established club in India plying their trade in the I-League, the Kerala-based setup was flourishing. It was under their then head coach, Suneer VP, that Thomas made drastic improvements to his skills. It proved to be an influential phase in his career. The club provided the launch-pad Thomas needed to jumpstart his career.

“His physique was one of the main reasons we picked him after a three day selection camp. From that camp, it was clear that Thomas is a hard working player, and that he has the qualities of a tough defender. He is a player who gives his 100% on the field. He motivates other players and also has a great commanding power and encourages others. He doesn’t get tense on the field. He is a tough player,” says Suneer.

Even though he started his career as striker, Thomas now plays as a centre-back

However, his biggest break was yet to come. As a member of the Government Oriental Higher Secondary School in Edathanattukara, Thomas guided his team to a runners-up finish in the Junior Boys category of the National Finals of the 2019-20 Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) tournament, held in Mumbai. Incidentally, scouts from the AIFF were present to witness his skills in action. Subsequently, he was shortlisted for the national U-15 camp, on the basis of his performance.

“For me to be selected in a national camp is nothing short of a miracle. And it has only happened because of the platform I was provided by RFYS,” says Thomas.

“Schools in Kerala are focusing on the RFYS event and practice towards it during the year,” adds Suneer. “Students get more attracted and attached to football due to the facilities provided at the event and it is playing a major role in improving football at the grassroots level in India,” explained Suneer.

“Young players get the opportunities to showcase what they have learned in training. Thomas, for example, would have improved in terms of his performance but he wouldn’t have been noticed. His chances of reaching the national level would have been considerably lower had it not been for the RFYS tournament,” he added.

Shivendu Panda, the current coach of the Indian U-16 team, is all-praise about the youngster, and he even admires his physical structure, which is pretty developed for a player so young. Apart from that, the gaffer feels that his student is “disciplined and responsible,” but that he needs to work on his communication with fellow defenders and midfielders, as well as on his decision making.

“His killer mentality is a positive attribute that he possesses. I believe he can do better, especially when it comes to control different forms of marking, one on one situations and dealing aerial balls with power, purpose and timing,” informed Shivendu Panda.

The journey has just begun for Thomas, who admires Spanish legend Sergio Ramos as well as Indian star Sandesh Jhinghan. His immediate "mission" is to break into India's U-16 squad and subsequently be a part of the unit that will aim to participate in the FIFA U-20 World Cup four years from now.