NextGen 2021: Premier League, ISL join hands for championing Indian grassroots football

A week ago, Premier League and the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) further strengthened their collaboration with the launch of the NextGen 2021 event, a one of a kind virtual event amid the coronavirus pandemic. The commitment from the two football leagues aims at developing and strengthening football at the grass root and youth level in India. Premier League’s all-time highest goalscorer Alan Shearer was also present at the event.

ISL news: Premier League, ISL renew Mutual Cooperation Agreement in 2020

Premier League and the Hero ISL have worked together since 2014. Last year, the two leagues agreed to renew the Mutual Cooperation Agreement. Under this, experts from some of the top Premier League clubs share knowledge with their Indian counterparts.

Besides, the NextGen Cup also came into existence. Some of the brightest Indian footballing talents from the renowned Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy (RFYC) and ISL clubs compete with their counterparts from teams across the Premier League academies every year in the NextGen Cup.

Alan Shearer speaks on growing footballing standards in India

The virtual event was held prior to the Hero ISL final that was played out between Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan. The event saw some key speakers, including Alan Shearer, Richard Garlick - the director of football for the Premier League, Chris Adamson - head of academy education, Everton among others.

Speaking to Premier League India’s official Twitter handle, Alan Shearer shed light on the ‘thirst for football’ that he came across while interacting with the youngsters in Mumbai last year. The Newcastle United legend said, “We're well aware of how big the Premier League is around the world, and that's one of the things I found when we were in Mumbai last year, the thirst for football.” Notably, Shearer was in India a year ago for the 2020 NextGen Cup.

Shearer understands the preference for cricket over Indian football. And he does not expect football to ever overtake cricket in India. However, he did cite the fact that Indian football is ever-growing, asserting that the quality and the standard was increasing exponentially in the country. 

ISL news: Premier League director highlights influence of football in India 

Richard Garlick, the director of football for the Premier League was among the key speakers at the NextGen 2021 virtual event. He highlighted the influence of sports in India, describing it as something closely associated with the Indian sub-continent's culture and identity. 

"For more than a decade now we've worked collaboratively with the Hero Indian Super League and the All India Football Federation to support the growth of football in India. This work has been helped by Star Sports, our longstanding and dedicated broadcast partner," he added. 

Image courtesy: Premier League website