Felt I was playing in World Cup: IM Vijayan on meeting Maradona

Outside his family, only two deaths have shaken former India football team captain I M Vijayan beyond words.
I M Vijayan with Diego Maradona | A  Sanesh
I M Vijayan with Diego Maradona | A  Sanesh

THRISSUR: Outside his family, only two deaths have shaken former India football team captain IM Vijayan beyond words. The first was the demise of actor Kalabhavan Mani and the other, that of Diego Maradona.

“I was on my way back to Thrissur from Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night along with my family. In between, we had a brief stopover at the house of former Kerala captain M V Nelson and the channels were flashing the news of Maradona’s death. I was shattered,” Vijayan told TNIE. 

One of India’s greatest players, Vijayan had famously shared the stage with Maradona, exchanging little volleys and headed passes, during a private programme at Kannur in 2012. Suitably impressed by his skills, Maradona hugging Vijayan was one of the most poignant moments of the day when the legendary Argentine mesmerised Kerala.

“We hardly spoke during the function. I felt I was playing a World Cup match when I headed and passed the ball with Maradona. Those headers and passes were enough for us to exchange pleasantries as it is the language of footballers across the world,” Vijayan said.

He treasures the shirt he had worn that day as it has the sweat of the legend. The India stalwart also recalled that Maradona had refused to cut a cake made in the shape of a football. “No footballer can do it as it’s their life,” he said.

The former India captain said he has inked jersey number 10 and the name of Maradona on his left leg and that of Brazil legend Pele on his right.“I was an ardent Brazil fan till one night in 1986. I was just 17 when Argentina took on England on June 22 in the World Cup. That historic match led me to switch loyalty to Argentina, like many football fans across the world,” he said.

He recollected that soon after the 1986 World Cup, he was selected to the Kerala Police team.“That changed my life. And since then, I have been an ardent fan of Argentina and Maradona,” he said.

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