The road to greatness starts with small steps!

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Living the life of a professional footballer is one that many budding footballers dream of and work towards every day. It is a life of commitment and dedication, where hard work and sacrifice becomes your nature. You start off playing with love for the game, playing in streets, in school, on dusty grounds with friends and family members. You idolize footballing greats, pulling off their signature moves and celebrations, following their every move, on and off the field. You slowly, step by step, make way into your local team, the school team, your city’s team, and with a little bit of luck, can find yourself knocking at the door of your national team at the U-17 level! Such is the story of these footballing legends who are sure to give you that extra bit of inspiration that you need to do better every day, be it at practice or at a game.

Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the first keeper to come to anyone’s mind. The 2006 World Cup winner is a living legend, playing top football for more than two decades, and could easily be one of the greatest players in his position this generation has witnessed. But did you know that this year’s Champions League finalist with Juventus started his international career representing Italy at various youth levels? Buffon was in the Italian U-17 side that took part at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan. He took to goalkeeping after watching Thomas Nkono, the Cameroonian keeper, in the World Cup in 1990. Fast forward to 2017, and very few can boast to have had the career he has.

Next up is Spaniard Iker Casillas, and he needs no introduction! World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, Club World Cup… The list is endless! Casillas’ career has taken him all over the world, and he has tasted success everywhere. But can you guess his beginnings? Yes, the custodian for FC Porto made his international debut playing for Spain at the U-17 level! Not just that, his hard work saw him become the youngest player in that Spanish side at the age of 16!

Casillas is sure to have inspired a generation of keepers in Spain, as is evident by the success of David de Gea, who went a step ahead and helped the Spanish U-17 team win the 2007 European Championship. With him in goal, Spain also ended up with a second-place finish at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007, which paved the way for his place in Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.

Now closer to home, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports is blazing a trail when it comes to bridging the gap between a childhood dream and reality, providing young student footballers an opportunity to excel and an atmosphere that nurtures their talent. Mumbai’s Golden Glove winner in the Senior Boys category, Soham Popalghat, is unabashed about his ambitions for the future, declaring his intent to represent the national side and the importance of tournaments such as the RFYS in paving the way for it. “Football means a lot to me. I want to forge a career for myself in the sport. I want to play for many years, keep making progress, play for my national team, India”, he said with conviction, as he prepares for RFYS 2017 with Fr. Agnel’s Multipurpose School and Junior College. And that’s not all. For Sacred Heart HSSS’s Akash K V, the RFYS football tournament brought an extra dose of motivation, as he met Kerala Blasters FC’s Graham Stack in person at the City Finals in Kochi. Stack gifted his gloves to the Junior Boys keeper, a memory that he will surely cherish for a lifetime, and sure to fuel his aspirations as a footballer!

As India gears up to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the spectacle is sure to leave a mark and make a case for grassroots programs in the country and also serve as an inspiration to all the young footballers who dream of making it big in football. And the next time any of you young keepers step onto the field at the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports tournament, remember that the road to greatness begins with small steps!