5 youngsters who should move to the I-League to revive their careers

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Remember the blonde haired guy from the Under-17 World Cup who dazzled one and all with his skill and trickery in India’s very first match of the tournament and amazed everyone equally when he did not play the following two fixtures?

75 minutes of football and just one game in the World Cup were enough to make Komal Thatal an household name in Indian Football. Countless videos of Komal started to surface over the internet with the title ‘ INDIAN NEYMAR’. The talent was there for everyone to see. It is certainly no joke to attract interest from Manchester United. It is certainly no joke to score a dazzling solo goal against the players who belong to the land of the Ronaldo’s, the Ronaldinho’s and the Pele’s.

Have a look at the goal Komal scored against the mighty Brazilians.

But this young chap had done just that. Much was expected of him and talks of fast-tracking him into the senior National Team were doing the rounds but a combination of poor decision-making and some hard luck has meant that ‘THE KOMAL THATAL STORY‘ stands as that of a forgotten talent, a story of ‘What could have been’!

After the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Komal had an offer from Turkish giants Galatasaray and a couple of other foreign clubs as well. He had a few offers from ISL clubs and a certain Ranjit Bajaj even went on to the extent of saying that shall Komal Thatal sign for his club Minerva Punjab, he will be guaranteed a minimum of 10 starts in the season. But Komal had other ideas. He went on to sign for ATK and leave aside 10 starts in his very first season as a professional, he hasnt been able to conjure up 10 starts in 3 seasons as an ATK player. Last season, Komal made a solitary appearance worth 6 minutes and warmed the benches for the rest of the season.

If Komal Thatal does not move out of Kolkata next season, his career can have some serious implications. The good part is that he is still only 18 and in case he makes the correct decision now, he might as well reach the heights that everyone expected him to reach a few years ago. THE TIME IS NOW, KOMAL.