Asensio: Zidane said my left foot was best since Messi

                           
 Defender Sanjeev Stalin is a vital cog in the India U-17 team which is set to play in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, starting October 6 and he feels the opportunity is as big as it can get for him.

Defender Sanjeev Stalin is one of the core members of the U-17 India team, which is all set to become the first Indian unit to compete in a FIFA event.
India will begin their FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign against USA on October 6 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
While most youngsters idiolise either footballing greats like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, dead-ball specialist Stalin only looks up to his father.
"My father was a footballer, not professionally but played at a good-level. He had a dream that I play football and he introduced me to the game. It is because of him that I am here," Stalin said in an interview with AIFF.
Stalin shared that when he scored his first goal, all he thought of was how his father would have felt seeing him score.
"My first goal came in a local tournament and I don't even remember what my age was but I scored it from the half-line. That was my first medal. All I could think about was how happy my father would be at that moment," Stalin recollected.
The Bengaluru lad started playing professional football at the age of 10 and the rest is history.
"I got selected in the Chandigarh football team when I was ten years old and that was the turning point of my life."
He recalled how he used to play every day after school and that too barefoot.
"I didn't play much in school because we didn't get much allowance but as soon as I used to come home, we used to start playing and that too barefoot. Even when I got hurt, I never realised at the time of playing. Only when I would come back and washed my feet, I would see that I've hurt my feet," Stalin chuckled.
"My family believed in me since I was a kid and would keep saying that 'you'll wear the Indian jersey one day'. My family is my motivation."
Stalin feels that football teaches him a lot and playing in the World Cup is as big as it can get for him.
"Football teaches a lot -- a player's discipline, punctuality, how to talk to people and so much more. The most special thing for me is that we learn something everyday.
"Everyone who plays football dreams of playing in the World Cup and I have got that opportunity and I am going to utilise it," Stalin concluded.