Former England and Liverpool goalkeeper, David James has played at some of the most iconic stadiums in his career, and he has now revealed that Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi has had the best atmosphere he ever experienced during his career.
James was named as the Kerala Blasters’ player-cum-coach in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014, during which he led them to the finals only for the club to fall at the last hurdle.
He returned for a second stint as a manger in January 2018, after Rene Meulensteen was sacked midway through the 2017/18 ISL season and was in charge of them till January 2019.
David James ?️ : “Playing for Kerala Blasters FC in the inaugural season of ISL, it was the BEST atmosphere I have experienced in my career. We had 60K+ crowd in the Ground. It was a wall of noise; before the game – during the game and after the game.” [via GOAL] #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/PPFQRy4lil
— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) May 7, 2022
“The Kerala Blasters in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL). We had 60,000 plus people in a game of football and for an hour before kick-off, it was just a wall of noise. During the game, it was a wall of noise and after the game, it was a wall of noise. And I have never played football in so much noise for so long. That was incredible and very surprising,” he told Goal, when asked about the best atmosphere he ever experienced.
“Atmosphere, every club I have been is fantastic but that one moment was when I realised football in India was as passionate as anywhere else in the world.”
This statement from the former England international would surely delight the Kerala fans considering that he played at some of the biggest clubs in England with passionate fan bases like Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham United among others.
