Former Chennaiyin FC defender Mikaël Silvestre has praised the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) and its impact on Indian football.The Former French international, who made 14 appearances for the Abhishek Bachchan co-owned side, also scored on one occasion and made 39 interceptions through the course of the first edition of the ISL. Chennaiyin FC were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals but lost out marginally to Kerala Blasters FC courtesy a Stephen Pearson goal late into the second period of extra time.Silvestre has won the English Premier League five times with Manchester United alongside one UEFA Champions League title. On the international stage, he has 40 caps to his name, winning the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003. He has also represented France in the 2006 World Cup. Overwhelmed with the success of the ISL and Chennaiyin FC, he said the ISL had put India on the world map and the future looked bright for the country. "The start of ISL was really exciting. The entire world witnessed the event. It's a great platform for the Indian football. I'm very much hopeful of Indian football," said the former Arsenal stopper."Overall I was impressed by the competition. I think they have kept it simple and intense and competitive and interesting enough for the Indian population to get a grip on," he said heaping further praise on the inaugural edition of the ISL.He further prophesied a favourable future for the competition saying: "I think the competition has a bright future, so I think it will attract more big names and the competition will be a lot harder to win next season." Quotes taken from PTI.
