IM Vijayan is a legend of Kerala and Indian football, having made 79 appearances for the national team. The legendary striker was named Indian Player of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 1999. He has even scored one of the fastest international goals, against Bhutan at the South Asian Federation Games in 1999. It took him just 12 seconds to find the net.The Arjuna awardee, who has also acted in Malayalam films, was ecstatic after Kerala Blasters FC downed FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. He spoke exclusively to www.indiansuperleague.com in a post-match interview: How has the Hero ISL experience been for you so far?It has been a great experience because Indian football is developing a lot. We are loving it even more as they are our players. They are getting a chance to play with international players who have high quality.How was your first home game experience today?Since I am from Kerala myself, I already knew that people here love football. Since it was the first home game, the support was good and it was important that we won. And since we won, this will attract the fans to come in for the remaining games at home. The crowd was good and the next match it will be even more; I know this for a fact.Have you ever played in front of such a huge crowd?Not so big! But if the match is a good one and there are good players on show, then, the crowds from Kerala just flow in. They love football.Have you noticed any difference in the quality of the players now as compared to before?Not yet, but playing with the international players is helping our Indian players develop.Can India qualify for the World Cup?If we give the grassroots programme the attention and supports it deserves, then, in 20 years, India can become number one in Asia.
