Stars and starlets of the likes of André Santos, Jan Šeda, Miroslav Slepička, Romeo Fernandes, Narayan Das and Mandar Rao Desai have been hogging the limelight in FC Goa’s sensational run to the semi-finals of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). However, one man, who has also been an integral part of Goa’s success story so far, right back Debabrata Roy aka “Debu”, has gone about his job quietly and efficiently with the minimum of fuss and attention. So integral has Roy been to Zico’s plans that he has played 14 out of the team’s 15 matches so far.Born in Kolkata, football was the love of Roy’s life from a very young age. “I have always been crazy about football,” the 28-year-old Indian international told indiansuperleague.com in an exclusive telephonic interview from Kolkata. “I could think of nothing else. I take great pride in the fact that I have been able to play for some of the best clubs in India along with the fact that I have also been lucky enough to represent my country. The icing on the cake has to be playing for FC Goa in the ISL. I never thought that a day would come when I would be sharing space with such quality international players. It is a dream to be coached by Zico. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to believe it’s true.”The soft-spoken defender’s affection for Goa’s head coach was quite apparent when asked to speak about the legendary Brazilian. “What can I say about him that hasn’t been said already?” he replied. “I will share a short anecdote with you. Zico was head coach of Japan when I played for India against them in a World Cup qualifier. I had a picture taken with him then. It was magical for me after all those years to find out that he would be coaching Goa. I went up to him and showed him the picture and told him the story. He was extremely happy to know about it. He borrowed my picture and got it published on his own website (see story). There were many news articles around it as well. He has a big heart.”The former Mahindra United, East Bengal and Dempo player also attributed his team’s success in the ISL to their talismanic head coach. “When we got off to an extremely slow start, I remember many people questioning our ability to qualify for the semi-finals. A lot of experts had written us off by then, but Zico believed in us. He told us that sometimes in football, you might be playing well without getting the right results. He encouraged us to keep playing our natural game and slowly tweaked and improved our weak zones without hindering our inherent capabilities. The result is there for all of us to see. He gave us the confidence to perform at our best.”When asked to shed light on some of the team’s young talents (almost all Indian players are on loan from Dempo), Roy is quick to gush, “They are extremely talented players. What surprises me is the level of maturity that these young boys display. It belies their age. Romeo (Fernandes) has chipped in with goals and has been brilliant. Narayan Das (who incidentally displaced Roy from his original left-back position) has been cool and composed and like Romeo, has a brilliant future ahead of him.”The former Federation Cup (with East Bengal) and I-League (with Dempo) winner also had words of praise for teammate and former Arsenal man, André Santos. “He has been phenomenal. He has made the midfield role his own. His goals and assists have been vital for us. He has made us a more potent threat.”The conversation ends with Roy talking about the support received from his family and friends: “The ISL has been a wonderful journey. We have received a lot of love from the fans who have stood by us throughout the season. I would like to thank my family and my close friends from the bottom of my heart. They are the ones who stood by me through thick and thin. They have been phenomenal in terms of the unwavering support that they have given me. I feel blessed.”
