NorthEast United FC midfielder Mayakkannan makes waves in maiden ISL season

CHENNAI: After M Mayakkannan made a fruitful start to his season, NorthEast United FC did not miss the chance to highlight the industry of their ‘midfield engine’, wittily captioning an image: “71% of the Earth is covered with water, the rest is covered by Maya.”

The Tamil Nadu player has fit into Juan Pedro Benali’s system like a glove, showing repeatedly in his maiden ISL campaign that he belongs to this level. Mayakkannan took little time to become a mainstay and has grown from strength to strength in the company of senior partner Mohammed Bemammer in the base of midfield.

In the process, Mayakkannan, a key member of NorthEast’s Durand Cup-winning squad, co-orchestrated the team’s journey to the ISL playoffs. So how did the 27-year-old overcome first-season jitters in the top-flight and adapt seamlessly? Mayakkannan feels that sticking to a specific task given to him – acting as a shield to the backline – has brought success.

“I have been focussing on my passing. Sometimes in the I-League (he played for Gokulam Kerala FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC), I would leave my usual position (deep-lying midfield) to perform another role. But in the ISL, I should stay in my position and maintain the team’s shape at all times. I cannot leave the midfield area vacant, I have to perform my primary duty,” Mayakkannan, who featured in 23 of the 24 league matches, told TOI.

“Benali has asked me to focus more on defending. While Bemammer takes care of attacking when the forwards need help, I primarily defend. When he goes up the pitch, I take added responsibility. We have a good understanding,” added Mayakkannan.

The midfielder credited Benali for his productive season. “When I made the switch from the I-League to the ISL, I was wondering whether I would be able to adapt. But I gained confidence after I started playing regularly. Benali understands my game well and has used me effectively. He takes time to speak personally to all the players. He teaches me a lot of tactical lessons in training, which have helped immensely,” Mayakkannan said.

‘Ajaraie treats training sessions like matches’

Mayakkannan enjoys one of the best views when in-form forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie is in full flow. The Moroccan has been near unstoppable this ISL campaign, bagging a league-record 23 goals and seven assists in 24 appearances.

Asked how Ajaraie has managed to take the ISL by storm in his debut season in Indian football, Mayakkannan replied: “Whatever you see in matches, we see in training. The way he plays, we feel that he can score more goals in matches. That is how skilful he is, we have a lot of belief in him. He plays in training as if it is a match. He asks us to play with high intensity in training so that the job becomes easier in matches.”