Young Benny thrives in Kerala’s hunt for maiden I-League title

Kolkata, March 13 : The race for the I-League crown is heating up, and a number of Indian players are playing their part in the final yards, to get their respective clubs over the line. While Bidyashagar Singh has been impressive for TRAU FC, Gokulam Kerala FC have a local boy of their own — Emil Benny.
The creative midfielder has impressed one and all with his attacking displays, scoring two goals in the campaign so far. The 20-year-old has also received the Hero of the Match award on two occasions so far. The lad from Wayanad feels that Gokulam coach Vincenzo Annese’s propensity to prefer young guns has helped him come into his own.
“We had a new coach at the start of this season. In the pre-season, we had a camp with both the Senior and the Reserve teams, and that is where he moved me from the reserves to the senior side,” stated Benny. “He prefers to have youngsters in the team, so I was able to break into the Senior team.” Benny, who was previously in the Gokulam Reserves side, playing in the Kerala Premier League, has gained valuable experience in his debut season in the I-League.
“This is my first season in the I-League, and it’s been tough. There are some experienced players here,” he said. “I’m happy to have got a lot of matches, and I even managed to get two Hero of the Match awards.” While he may be in his debut I-League season, Benny has been thrown straight into the mix of what looks like a three-way tug-of-war between Churchill Brothers, Gokulam Kerala and TRAU FC for the league title.