Here’s why Ashique Kuruniyan’s stint with Villareal was an educational experience

From the sugarcane shops of Malappuram to the fields of Pune FC and later Pune City FC and then the Spanish province of Castellón, it has been one incredible journey for Ashique Kuruniyan.

And to top it all off, Aashique is still only 19 and raring to go one more time. Unfortunately for the Malayali winger, an injury curtailed what was an educational experience, in Ashique’s own words.

Now back home to recover from a muscle tear in the middle third of his hamstrings, Scroll caught up with the youngster to speak about his experiences in Spain and the road ahead.

Many a football expert will tell you that loan deals for youngsters such as Ashique and Romeo Fernandes are nothing more than a glorified PR stunt. With India increasingly in the spotlight due to its ‘sleeping giant’ status, those statements may have an element of truth to them.

One thing that these experts more often than not fail to do is to ask the player himself, what it means for those from adverse backgrounds to hone their skills at one of the highest platforms they will ever be afforded.

Ashique, back home from training at 9 in the night, speaks of footballing lessons better than any he has received so far, “The level (of football) there is much higher than what it is here. The technical lessons that they teach there are much more advanced than what I have learnt previously.”

Playing for Villareal ‘C’, the winger played two matches for the Yellow Canaries in the lower leagues, “I was there for a period of almost two and a half months. When I started, training was a little tough and then I played my first match almost immediately after arriving there. The second match, which was three to four weeks saw me in better form.”

He also spoke about getting inspired by the senior team, “Unko dekhegaa aur mehnat karegaa (I used to see them practice and work hard to get there),” he says in broken Hindi.

The language barrier didn’t prove to be too much of a hurdle, assures Ashique, “I did try to speak in English and one of the coaches did speak to the language. They showed me a lot of new practice techniques.”

“They always try to motivate the players. Galti karne pe gussa nahi hota hai (They don’t get angry at a mistake). They were good coaches,” says Kuruniyan who seems satisfied with his Spanish sojourn, so much so that he may be inclined to repeat the experience next year.

Gaurav Modwel, CEO of Pune City says that Aashique has been invited to re-join the team next season, “It’s a good learning experience and there’s scope for improvement. He got a chance to play with Roda, feeder club to Villareal C. He signed a five year long contract with us recently, may get to play for the team sooner or later.”

The ex-Pune FC youth product is not getting carried away though, “I will do whatever the team asks of me. If they ask me to go to Spain again, I will. If they give me a chance to play in the ISL, I will take it.”

The fifth child born to his parents, Kuruniyan dropped out of school in the eighth grade to help make his family make ends meet by volunteering to work in a sugarcane factory. Soon, he was picked up from a programme designed by the Kerala Football Association.

Then Pune FC, the Red Lizards, came calling and Kuruniyan in time, got selected for the Under-18 and Under-19 India squads on account of being a fast, genuinely left-footed winger, a rarity in Indian conditions.

He counts current Bengaluru FC left-back Nishu Kumar and Chennai City FC winger Prashant Karuthadathkuni as two of his friends from the national camp, “I made good friends in Nishu and Prashant there. Coach (Stephen) Constantine also came down to train us. It was overall, a good experience.”

A childhood supporter of Manchester United’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s, Ashique says that he learnt a lot by watching other Spanish teams play, “I went to watch the Barcelona and Atletico Madrid games and I was surprised by what I saw. Lionel Messi is the best footballer I saw in Spain.”

In India, the left-footer says he admires Sunil Chhetri and Anas Edathodika and wants to emulate them one day, “The immediate aim is to play for the Indian team and in the Indian Super League. My father says he likes Pune City so I will try to play for them.”

A rarity in India and a left-footer who has so much to contribute despite his tender years, Kuruniyan’s experience has only made him tougher. If nurtured right, this lanky boy could be tearing down India’s left flank one day.