Towards the end of the post-match press conference at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday, NorthEast United FC manager Ricki Herbert was flummoxed. Goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh had delivered a creditable performance in his side’s goalless draw with Delhi Dynamos and journalists were eager to hear the custodian’s point of view.
Rehenesh answered in Hindi and the moderator moved the interaction forward.
Herbert was understandably lost and demanded to know what was said. “I’m learning, but I only speak a bit of Indian,” said the Kiwi with a smile. He obviously meant Hindi, not Indian!
In light of a recent development, this was a significant bit of information. It has been reliably learnt that Herbert has applied for the Indian men’s national team manager job which had been vacated by Wim Koevermans earlier this month.
Before and after NorthEast’s encounter against Dynamos, the 53-year-old Kiwi stressed on the need to develop Indian players in the Indian Super League. While many managers have discussed the franchises’ commitment to grassroots development, Herbert went out of his way to express his commitment to Indian football.
“It is really important to invest in these young players. The quality of the ISL will be determined by Indian players. It is more important to me if an Indian scores a goal than a foreigner getting a hat-trick,” he said.
Herbert had led his country to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where it failed to progress past the group stage. However, the young New Zealand side had earned plaudits for remaining unbeaten as it drew with Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia. At this year’s World Cup, Herbert was part of a 14-member technical development studies group led by Gerard Houllier.
Strong motivationDespite coaching at the highest level, the Kiwi’s motivation to train a team that languishes in the lower echelons of international football seems strong.
“I could be in New Zealand, sitting on the couch and watching ISL on the telly. But I love being here. I’m investing in young Indian players,” reiterated Herbert.
It wasn’t surprising to note his emphasis on investment in youth development.
Very few would disagree with the idea and, when combined with the good results Herbert has gained with NEUFC, it makes a very strong case for his appointment.
The Auckland-born coach believed that his proclivity to promote youngsters will hold him in good stead in India as well.
“Our goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh is playing alongside World Cup winner (Joan Capdevila) and Champions League player (Miguel Garcia). That is pretty cool. From a communication point of view, they (Indian players) will keep evolving.”
Despite building the strongest case for himself, Herbert refused to be drawn on the speculation surrounding the job. “I’ll talk to you about it at the appropriate time,” the media gathering was told.
