At first glance, this midfielder of small build looks deceptively easy to handle. But 28-year-old Ajayan has been a thorn in the side of rival teams, working wonders for Mahindra United in his first season as skipper by marshalling them to a stunning 3-2 victory over Churchill Brothers in the Durand Cup final.

Named Player of the Tournament on Sunday, Ajayan first came into the limelight during the 2001 edition of Santosh Trophy, in which he helped Kerala win the title after a span of 10 years.

“I was 19 when I actually thought of playing football seriously. I was selected in the junior team for Kollam district and it was in 1996 that I joined State Bank of Travancore,” he told The Indian Express about his journey to stardom. “After playing there, I was called to represent Kerala in the Santosh Trophy in Mumbai in 2001. That was my first national championship and I scored my first goal in it. Then, I was called for the national camp and, in the first game I played under then national coach Stephen Constantine, I scored my first international goal.”

From a middle-class background, Ajayan never had any trouble convincing his family to let him play football. “My family has always been supportive. The only time I faced a problem was while doing my degree course from MG University, Trivandarum. I had a lot of problems in travelling but my dad somehow ensured that my football never suffered,” he said.

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