Steven Dias

Steven Benedic Dias (born 25 December 1983) is a retired Indian professional footballer who last played for Mumbai FC in the I-League and currently the assistant coach of ISL outfit Odisha FC. An attacking midfielder who plays on the wings, he is known for his long range shooting, crossing and passing. Dias made his debut for India in 2006 and had since become a mainstay in the Indian midfield. He is known as the "David Beckham of India".[2]

Steven Dias
Personal information
Full name Steven Benedic Dias[1]
Date of birth (1983-12-25) 25 December 1983
Place of birth Mumbai, India
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Right midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Jamshedpur FC
(Assistant coach)
Number 23
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Air India
2003–2010 Mahindra United
2011–2013 Churchill Brothers 25 (4)
2013 Mumbai Tigers 0 (0)
2014 Rangdajied United 10 (1)
2014 Delhi Dynamos FC 7 (0)
2015 Bharat FC 17 (0)
2016–2017 Mumbai FC 17 (2)
National team
2004–2011 India 51 (7)
Teams managed
2019–2020 Jamshedpur FC
(Assistant coach)
2020– Odisha FC
(Assistant coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 May 2015 (UTC)

Club career

Dias was playing for one of India's leading clubs Mahindra United (before the club withdrew from Indian football federation on 30 April 2010) and played in their NFL winning team, as well as in the AFC Cup.

He has since played for clubs in the I-League such as Churchill Brothers where he made 25 appearances and scored 4 goals. He has also played for Mumbai Tigers, Rangdajied United, Delhi Dynamos FC in the inaugural season of the ISL and Bharat FC where he made 17 appearances. He signed for Mumbai FC in 2016 after Bharat FC withdrew from the I-league.

Dias has started a club named Ambitious Football Academy in Don Bosco vidyyavihar . He hopes to bring a sensation of football in the youth of the Mumbai. </ref>

International career

Dias made his debut for India in 2004 and was a part of the team that unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. He played in India's first Nehru cup title in 2007, scoring twice in a 6–0 win over Cambodia. He usually takes corners for India and scored straight from one of in a 2–2 draw against Lebanon.[3] He was a regular for the Indian National team and played an integral role in India's win in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. He was a key player in India's win over Syria in the Nehru Cup of 2009. He helped India qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar. He had been chosen to be part of the 30 man squad preparing for the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha. His combination and understanding with striker, Sunil Chhetri, made them a very threatening duo.

In 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification match against Pakistan he scored a goal. During the Indian Caribbean tour on 24 August 2011 Dias scored a goal against Guyana but could not stop India from losing the match 1–2.

References
  1. Steven Dias to lead Maharashtra
  2. https://au.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/8623955/australia-cruise-past-india-in-asian-cup/polls/popup/-/poll_id/62771/
  3. Yet another disappointment
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.