Nelson aims for glory at CFC

It is indeed a case of being third time lucky for the 29-year-old as, in his own words, he came perilously close to striking a deal with an undisclosed ISL club in both season two and three.

It’s not hard to deduce from his restive bearing as to how much he craves stability since his 10year career had him pull on the jerseys of eight different clubs. Tired of living the life of a footballing mercenary, Nelson wants to settle down at a place that he could call his ‘home’. And so, when Chennaiyin tabled an irresistible offer, the flying Dutchman readily leapt on the bandwagon. Ask him about his urge to travel and he immediately gives short shrift to his notorious pair of itchy feet.

“I heard only good things about the ISL from my friend Hans Mulder, who played for Chennaiyin last season. Even before that, I was interested in playing in India but for some reason the deal fell through. After coming here, I’m convinced that I made the right decision and I’m looking forward to a productive and long stint with Chennaiyin,” said Nelson. 

Having learnt the fundamentals of football in the school of the straightlaced Louis van Gaal, Nelson hasn’t exactly graduated to higher rungs at the pace and in the manner he would have wished. Even so, he has only fond musings of the time he spent under van Gaal. “It was an honour to have made my Eredivisie debut under him at AZ Alkmaar. When I was six or seven, I remember watching Ajax Amsterdam win the Champions League with van Gaal being their manager. I was a huge fan of Ajax at the time and it was a nice experience to have played under him even if only for a brief period,” recalled Nelson.

Like any other fan of ‘Oranje’, Nelson, too, pales at the sobering thought of his team not being at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Netherlands has gone on a rapid downward spiral ever since its thirdplace finish at the previous edition in Brazil but he is adamant that it is too good a team not to turn a corner. “It is extremely disappointing to miss the World Cup. I have so many friends in the current squad and I share their sorrow. But we have one of the best leagues in the world and I’m sure we will get our house in order soon,” concluded Nelson.