Indian football: Once out in the cold, life is turning full circle for Adil Khan

When Igor Stimac fielded a second-string side in what was just his second match as India coach during their final group game against Thailand in the King’s Cup, the idea was to provide an opportunity to the players who didn’t fully feature in the opening 1-3 loss to Curacao.

Results weren’t the priority for the coach who was just experimenting with different players and checking their calibre. But Stimac’s men gave him something to cheer about – snatching a 1-0 victory – with Adil Khan playing an important role in the backline.

Making a return to the national side after a hiatus of seven years, not only did Khan marshal the backline that afternoon with a well-earned clean sheet but also supplied the assist for the winning goal in a game that had turned scrappy. Perhaps, it was an emotional moment for the 31-year-old, who made a comeback after suffering a career-threatening Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury in 2015 that kept him on the sidelines for more than a year.

“It was a really difficult time – I couldn’t even touch the ball and it wasn’t easy financially as well. The biggest lesson was that you just cannot give up. There was a block in my mind at times but I fought it and knew that I had to keep working and keep myself fit,” Khan told Scroll.in.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Khan has been entrusted the responsibility of manning the central defense by Stimac due to lack of options in that position and the 31-year-old has grabbed the opportunity by both hands.

Not only has he cemented his place in the team but is also proving to be the perfect candidate to partner Sandesh Jhingan as centre-back with uncertainty over Anas Edathodika’s return still continuing.

“Jhingan and me trained together for the first time before the King’s Cup for a short time and kept a clean sheet against Thailand. I have seen him play over the years so I was aware of his strengths. Since then, the communication between us has improved a lot as we now have more matches and camps under our belts,” he revealed.

Building from the back

In Stimac’s new set-up, defending comes with an added responsibility. Not only are defenders expected to marshall the backline but are also expected to contribute the team’s attacking play and build from the back. But that is easier said than done for a team, who have lately received a lot of flak for their tendency to concede late goals.

“I cannot say that it is difficult (playing from the back). We have been working hard to adapt to the new role over the last three months and trying to keep the ball more. It is also important to understand that defending is also a team effort – right from the goalkeeper to the striker – everyone has an important role to play,” Khan responded when asked about the challenges of the role.

And the team played that role to perfecting earlier this month when India salvaged a draw against Qatar in the World Cup qualifiers.

Recalling the atmosphere in the dressing room after the result, Khan said, “It was really special, given the magnitude of the result. I remember trying to control my emotions – even a few hours after the match. It took some time for the result to sink in.

“Everyone understood how important the result was – holding the Asian champions in their own backyard, especially after the result against Oman. We did not concede a goal against a side that had won all its matches against Asian teams this year, which again is special.

“During the match against Qatar, our target was to remain focussed for the full 90 minutes and keep the basics right. The entire defence, with Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) at the back, was communicating constantly. Everyone was fighting hard and we dug deep and held our own till the final whistle,” Khan added.

High morale

While bigger tests lie ahead on the road for India, Khan feels Stimac has instilled a great sense of belief in the team.

“One thing I would say is that since he [Stimac] has come, he has brought in great belief in the team. The team he is building is a good one and we have been making continuous progress. I sincerely hope people believe in him and give him time.

“After the heartbreak against Oman, he did a great job to lift the team’s morale. The credit goes to him. I was really gutted after the first match but Stimac changed the mood of the players and brought us back into the zone for the Qatar game. I have seen many coaches get angry and cut themselves off after a loss but not him – he continuously spoke to us and motivated us,” the 31-year-old defender asserted.

Once down in the abyss, life has come full circle for Khan who made his India debut under Armando Colaco in 2012. He now just wants to contribute as much, whatever role it may be.

“I say that I am a link between the senior and junior players in the team. The previous batch I was part of had some incredible players but the current team is special and is the future of Indian football. As a senior player, I will always be there to guide them and I hope to play my part in this team for as long as the coach wants me to,” he concluded.