Vinit Rai, a self-confessed Manchester United, admitted that he was too shy to speak to former United legend Steve Coppell about his time at the club when the duo were at Kerala Blasters.
Coppell has played in 322 competitive games for Manchester United and scored 53 goals. The Englishman was the head coach of the Indian Super League (ISL) franchise from Kerala in the 2016-17 season when they reached the finals only to lose to ATK on penalties in Kochi.
“When I was at Kerala Blasters, I was fortunate to work under Coppell. I learned so many things from him, he is a top guy and a very (nice) human being.
“I was just a kid that time, I did not have the guts to talk to him personally and ask things about Manchester United. I was struggling to get minutes so I was just trying to work hard so that I can prove myself. I never really asked him anything about Manchester United,” said Rai who played two games under Coppell’s tutelage at Blasters when he was still in his teens.
The 22-year-old from Manipur stated that he began following Manchester United since the days of Cristiano Ronaldo back in the summer of 2003.
“I used to watch Man Utd a lot when Cristiano Ronaldo was there. I still follow their games. Manchester United have a history of getting comeback wins, that is the most important thing I like about them, they never give up. I support Real Madrid too but I follow the Premier League,” said Rai in a chat with Manchester United Delhi fans.
Rai was asked to choose between Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri to which he favoured the latter but also explained his reasons for the same.
“Both Bhutia and Chhetri are true legends. I will go with Chhetri because I have played with him and have learned a lot from him. He will come and talk to me, give me tips. The way he eats, his hard work and dedication, I follow him,” opined Rai.
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