His steady rise through the ranks, with Lyon, Bordeaux, AC Milan and now Paris St-Germain, not only brought him to national attention but also dispelled the notion that Indians are genetically not predisposed to football at the top levels.

‘‘He is a good boy,’’ says legendary French coach Guy Roux. ‘‘His technique is very good, his passing is beautiful. Not that good in defence but his attacking skills are good.’’

Roux was coach at Auxerre for 44 years before retiring last July, taking the club from the regional Burgundy league to being French champions and his famous academy producing stars such as Eric Cantona and Djibril Cisse. Dhorasoo might have been another. ‘‘He was in my office in Auxerre as a young boy,’’ Roux said. ‘‘He spent two hours with me. We tried to sign him but he didn’t join.’’

What does he see in Dhorasoo’s future? ‘‘Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll play that long for France because he’s 32; if he was 22, that would be different, he would have a long international career ahead of him.’’ Was he unlucky in being around the same time as Zidane? ‘‘Perhaps,’’ he says with a shrug.

Was football on his mind right through? ‘‘It’s in the family... his father’s side. In fact, both his father and uncle played football.’’ While Manduth played a role in shaping his football career, perhaps the greater influence came from his maternal uncle, Sama Sanassee. Speaking from Port Louis, Mauritius, Sama sought to downplay his contribution. “Ah! I was no professional like Vikash, you know. I played for a village called Lasalines in Port Louis as a youngster, nothing more.”

... contd.