After seven months on the sidelines, Alan Saji ready for stronger comeback

Panaji: With Armando Sadiku parting ways and Aaren D’Silva injured, Alan Saji is now the only recognised striker for FC Goa at the Super Cup.He only turned 19 last week, hasn’t played yet in the Indian Super League (ISL), and made only a handful of appearances for Goa at the Bandodkar Memorial Trophy, where he picked up an injury in September last year. He underwent surgery, recovered, and is now eager to show why he was considered among the best young talent to have emerged from the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy.“I came from the academy to FC Goa and had lot of dreams, started to play as well and then got an injury (that needed surgery),” Alan told TOI during the pre-match media interaction on Sunday. “It was very difficult for me because it was the first injury in my career. It kept me out for a long time, but I learned a lot during the rehab. A lot of new things, particularly to be patient. Even if I don’t play (during the injury phase), there are other things to work on myself. It was difficult, now I am very happy to be back, training with the team, and being a part of the Super Cup (squad).”It's been more than seven months since he last played a competitive game. It was the final of the Bandodkar Memorial Trophy against Odisha FC where he picked up an injury.So, what kept Alan going through these difficult months?Who's that IPL player?“There were lot of examples of players bouncing back from injuries in my team, so it was easy for me. I’ve seen Iker (Guarrotxena), Sandesh (Jhingan) bhai, they came back from (long-term) injuries. I saw them training on the pitch everyday, and later playing in the ISL, doing really great. I was not worried about the injury. I knew I would come back stronger. I learned a lot from the players, they motivated me. The medical staff here was good, everyone treated me like family,” said Alan.With foreign options available upfront, coach Manolo Marquez may not entirely count on Alan to deliver in the Super Cup, but his performance will be closely monitored.Given what he has done at RFYC, and the potential he has shown in training, everyone at the club rates him highly.The promising Kerala forward was part of RFYC since the age of 12 when he was scouted and brought on board. Last year, Alan was part of the RFYC squad that competed in the Sanix Cup in Japan, widely regarded as the best youth football tournament in Asia.Alan was so impressive that he was included in the Sanix Cup Team of the Tournament, later prompting a move to Goa, with coach Manolo insisting “he has the qualities to be an important player for not just the club but also for India in the years to come.”Goa face Gokulam Kerala in their opening match of the Super Cup in Bhubaneswar on Monday.