Bhaichung Bhutia has played the most matches for the country in his 16-year-old and still healthy career. After being recently felicitated by the All India Football Federation for having made his 100th international appearance, the national team skipper spoke to The Indian Express about his career, Indian football, and East Bengal’s upcoming derby match against Mohun Bagan. Excerpts:

What does this achievement of having played 100 matches mean to you?

n It means that the journey I started 16 years ago has been a successful one. But I would like to share the honour of the felicitation with all my team mates who have had played alongside me. Football is a team game and every achievement is a collective one.

Do you think Indian football has progressed since you started playing the game?

• The quality of the players has definitely improved. But very little has happened as far as development or infrastructure is concerned. We still don’t have good playing grounds. Basic facilities are missing. We are yet to have a road map to take Indian football forward. A lot needs to be done.

Do you agree with Bob Houghton’s idea of keeping the national team players together for sufficient time in the lead-up to the 2011 Asian Cup?

• It’s not a bad idea. Realistically, you can’t keep the players together for more than six-seven months. Football is a club sport. But then North Korea tried the method and were successful in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. There’s nothing wrong in trying. The Asian Cup is big for us and we should be fully prepared for such a top competition. But for this idea to work out, strong financial back-up is necessary, and the AIFF has to provide that.

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