"He's not a random footballer" - Kerala Blasters' Karolis Skinkys clarifies about on-trial Justine Emmanuel and their new approach

Speculations were running high after Kerala Blasters (KBFC) fans spotted an unknown footballer in the club's pre-season training. Soon the club revealed that the player was a certain Nigerian forward, Justine Ojoka Emmanuel, who had joined the pre-season camp on a trial.

With minimal data or information available about the player, fans questioned if Indian football clubs had reverted to signing unknown, unproven non-league foreigners. However, in an interview with The Times of India on Wednesday, Blasters sporting director Karolis Skinkys explained:

"As a club and league, if we want to be respected outside India, we have to find solutions on how to get quality (players) interesting to other countries as well. One way is to scout young players with potential to play at a much higher level, so Justine is beginning of that (journey).

"We will do this in Africa, South America and any country or market where we can find quality, where the club structure is not so organized," he added.

The striker, who represented Nigeria at the U-20 level, was reportedly first scouted by the Yellow Army during a trip to Nigeria where top-division clubs from Mexico, Poland, and Portugal were all invited to take part in a tournament.

Karolis Skinkys stressed that Justine is not a "random footballer" and is a pivotal part of their new approach. He had been monitored for a while and a decision was only made to bring him on trial when KBFC were confident of his abilities.

"He's not a random footballer," clarified Karolis. "We could have got him mid-season last year but decided to get him now. This is the beginning of a new plan; find quality young players who can help us get respect outside India.

"This is our first attempt and there's nothing to be overexcited. We have to see how he adapts, how he fits, what are the limits We want younger players (in the team) but without compromising quality," he added.

Why did Kerala Blasters adopt their new approach in the international transfer market?

It's understandably a new approach for the Blasters to turn themselves into a ladder for young footballers wanting to step up in their professional careers.

The club's sporting director further explained:

"Every year, our aim is to reduce the average age of foreign players. It's important to have players who are hungrier, appreciate the opportunity, and have more energy. It's not just about the age; you cannot compromise on the quality. You can sometimes sign all young players and then easily get disappointed (with their performances).

"The main thing is quality. It's not easy, it takes time (to sign players). You have to find the right profiles. Once you find, there are several factors like player situation, club situation, and family opinion. The more we increase the reputation of the league, the easier it will be to attract good players," he added.

Although in theory, this does seem like a logical direction with regard to overseas signing, fans will be waiting to see if this approach can actually reap the promised rewards any time soon.