How Chennaiyin FC found a Chennai story in S. Prakadeswaran?

In the Brislee Nagar settlement, near Otteri, football did not first come to S. Prakadeswaran through academies, scouts or floodlit stadiums. It was through narrow alleys, the road outside his house and the local tournaments that became part of the rhythm of the area during the Tamil month of Aadi, when temple organizers in parts of Chennai organized football competitions for neighborhood teams.

That was where Prakadeswaran, barefoot and still a schoolboy, first stood out.

“Everyone around me played football,” Prakadeswaran said Sports stars. «Even my dad played. We used to play on the road.»

Now 19, Prakadeswaran is part of the senior squad of Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). In a season where Chennaiyin struggled near the bottom of the table, his emergence has brought a different kind of cheer to the club’s supporters: a boy from Chennai, raised in the city’s football streets, coming through the club aisle wearing the top-flight shirt.

Chennaiyin has previously had a presence in Tamil Nadu. Dhanpal Ganesh, from Chennai, was part of the club’s earlier ISL years, while Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, from Neyveli, returned to the side last season. But Prakadeswaran’s story has a distinct appeal. He’s not just from out of state. He comes from the city, from the academy and from the kind of local football culture that often remains out of the picture.

His father, P. Sakthivel, works as a security guard. His mother, G. Veni, is in charge of the MCTM Government School in Purasaivakkam. Before entering the sports hostel system, Prakadeswaran studied at a government school in his locality. His first structured football training came through a camp set up by his relative Nallathambi, before his father helped him enter the SDAT sports hostel track in Class VIII. His brother, S. Kamaleshwaran, had joined the hostel before him.

Under coach Johnson at SDAT, Prakadeswaran began to understand the discipline behind the game. Chennaiyin’s youth coaches later spotted him in his place during a five-a-side tournament. He moved to SDAT hostel in Neyveli in 2018 and in 2019, Chennaiyin called him for the Under-13 camp.

The first obstacle came before he could participate.

“The SDAT sports hostel did not allow me at first, and then I approached the coach and convinced him personally,” he said. “By then, Chennaiyin FC had completed the trials and selections, and I joined the team directly at Chettinad Football Ground as it played the Reliance Cup.”

Chennaiyin later conducted separate trials for him. At the age of 13, he became part of the club’s youth set-up and trained under Ramakrishnan in the U-13s, Lakshmanan in the U-15s and later Rajan Mani in the U-17s.

However, the journey was never easy. From the hostel, he often traveled alone to matches in Chennaiyin, sometimes starting a day earlier, with the round trip taking almost seven hours.

Then came COVID-19, when training moved home. Chennaiyin recalled him for the U-18 squad in 2023, and Rajan Mani later gave him his first leadership opportunity in the youth set-up. Around the same period, Prakadeswaran also attended an India U-17 camp in Goa in 2024, just before his Class XII exams.

“It was my first trip on an airplane,” he said. «I traveled alone. At first it was difficult because no one spoke my language, but football united me with others.»

His ISL debut came as a substitute in Chennaiyin’s 1–2 defeat to Inter Kashi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 7 April. His mother was in the stands with his brother that evening, not in a VIP box, and Prakadeswaran didn’t know she had come.

“My brother took her away unexpectedly,” he said. «My parents were very happy after my debut. The people around me knew my struggles, the early mornings, the trips alone, and they felt that all the difficulties had finally paid off.»

His first senior goal came against Jamshedpur FC later that month. Chennaiyin lost 4-1, but Prakadeswaran’s strike was the club’s moment to bounce back from the evening. Before the Jamshedpur match, head coach Clifford Miranda had spoken to him during shooting practice about when to shoot and when to place the ball.

“During the match, I applied his words,” Prakadeswaran said. “I took the ball, cut inside and took a shot with the inside of my left foot and connected.”

He has also found guidance from teammate and attacking midfielder Alberto Noguera, who has helped him with shoulder checks, quicker decisions and releasing the ball earlier. More than the advice, Prakadeswaran says he pays attention to the Spaniard’s routine: the work in the gym, the discipline and the way he approaches each workout.

At the other end of the ISL, Kolkata’s two giants obviously carry a strong local football identity, while clubs like FC Goa and Kerala Blasters have often retained a visible state connection. However, Chennaiyin’s bond with its own city did not always feel so direct on the field.

Prakadeswaran is still at the beginning. There have only been substitute appearances, one goal and still a long way to go. But for a club looking for signs in a tough season, the boy from Otteri has given Chennaiyin something the supporters can relate to.

“I learn from everyone here,” he said. “My aim is to be the next to reach Team India.”

Published on May 16, 2026