Tamil Nadu’s ISL star Mayakkannan plays Santosh Trophy to gain game time

CHENNAI: M Mayakkannan has been forced to travel on the road not taken. Considering the turmoil that Indian football is in, the Tamil Nadu player, who generally plies his trade in the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL), is donning his state team’s colours in the Santosh Trophy (National Football Championship) to garner much-needed game time.

While the 28-year-old is contracted to NorthEast United FC, he is eligible to feature in the Santosh Trophy as he has not been registered by his club for the league season. The move makes total sense with the upcoming edition of the ISL not in sight. Mayakkannan, a mainstay in NorthEast’s midfield, netted once in TN’s 6-0 rout of Andaman and Nicobar in their opening Group G clash in Anantapur on Wednesday.


“The registration process for the leagues (ISL and I-League) is yet to begin, so I got permission from NEUFC to play here. I have not played competitively since the Super Cup. We do not know when the top-flight league will begin, so I did not want to be unfit when reporting to the NorthEast camp. At the same time, I am proud to be representing TN,” Mayakkannan, who interestingly made his Santosh Trophy debut only on Wednesday, told TOI from Anantapur.

India U-23 goalkeeper K Mohanraj and the versatile Karthick Thirumalai – members of Chennaiyin FC’s Super Cup squad – have followed in Mayakkannan’s footsteps. It has been learnt that a TN attacker showed interest in playing in the Santosh Trophy but could not receive necessary clearance from his ISL club.

“We have been away from the game (competitive action) for six-seven months. Playing in the Santosh Trophy will help us stay fit. We should not struggle when we report to camps and avoid getting injured during pre-season training. Personally, that (game time) is specifically why I have come here,” said Mayakkannan.

Mix of youth and experience: Besides Mayakkannan, Mohanraj and Karthick, former ISL players Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Sinivasan Pandiyan and Jockson Dhas are part of the TN set-up. Head coach Dharmaraj Ravanan is looking to perfectly blend experience with the exuberance of youth. “There are new faces in this team, and they are adapting really well. They are doing what the team needs. I have confidence that they will continue to deliver the goods,” said Ravanan.