© ISLDavid James grabbed the headlines at the International Players Draft in Mumbai on August 21st. Kerala Blasters FC announced the ex-Liverpool and England goalkeeper was joining the franchise in the dual capacity of marquee player and club manager. But the former FA Cup-winner knows that at his new club, one person will almost always grab the headlines.Sachin Tendulkar, co-owner of the Kerala franchise, is the most recognizable sportsperson in India. The cricket legend has enchanted a billion people with his stroke-play on famous grounds all over the world. Now, the little master is swapping the cricket pitches for football fields. His nickname, “Master Blaster”, was the inspiration for the Kerala team name. Sachin was also part of the process of bringing David James into the Kerala Blasters fold. The two met in London for a conversation about the future of the franchise and Indian football. In an interview after the draft, James recalled that meeting, citing a shared “dream for football” as one of the main reasons he decided to join the ISL. Drawing parallels with his charity foundation, an agriculture-based project for long-term food security in Malawi, James talked about the “idea of growing and producing”, and how Sachin dreams of producing “Indian footballers that will be global”.If I can have some part in Sachin's dream, because it’s essentially the same sort of dream that I have, then, happy days!David James, Kerala Blasters FCHe also revealed how, astonishingly, Tendulkar did not once talk about cricket! Instead, the focus was on his passion and desire to have a positive impact on Indian football. James said that the two have a common vision which they will instil in the Kerala franchise. Alluding to the ISL regulation that each team must have five Indian players on the field, he said that the dream is to ultimately be able to fill the other five outfield spots with local talent as well. The to-be Blasters goalkeeper is certain that the talent is there, and it his job, along with the rest of the technical staff, to showcase the “coaching capabilities to bring that through.”The long-term aim for both Tendulkar and James is to build on this philosophy and develop a competitive national team. James made a comparison between India and Iceland, where he has previously worked. Remarking that Iceland, with a population of only 324,000, made it to the final stages of qualification for this year’s FIFA World Cup, James asks why a country with a 1.2-billion population can’t reach the same or even greater heights. Helping India improve upon its current world ranking of 150, and then attaining those heights, is the new Kerala Blasters manager’s ultimate goal.More than anything, however, it is the opportunity to help India’s greatest cricketing icon achieve his aspirations for Indian football that has drawn David James here. Remembering the London meeting between the two, James reiterated that his involvement with Indian football is down to Sachin’s dream. “If I can have some part in his dream, because it’s essentially the same sort of dream that I have, then, happy days!”
