Simon Grayson in talks to manage the Indian football team: Reports

Indian football is currently in a state of transition. With Igor Stimac being shown the door earlier this week, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is now on the look out for a new coach for the senior national team.

And if reports coming out of England are to be believed, Simon Grayson is in preliminary talks to take over.

Former Leeds and Sunderland Leeds boss Simon Grayson is in preliminary talks to become the new manager of the India national team following the departure of Igor Stimac. #India https://t.co/F9eaANsE6z

— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) June 19, 2024

Experience

Grayson, 54, has been out of work since leaving Bengaluru FC in December.

Boasting of a long career in England and India, he has had considerable success, getting four teams promoted from League One into the Championship, notably Blackpool, Leeds, Huddersfield Town, and Preston.

His time at Leeds United was particularly successful with a win rate of nearly 50% from 2008 to 2012.

Grayson has also taken charge of Sunderland, Bradford City, and Fleetwood Town before coming to India.

In all, he has overseen more than 750 games in which the overall win percentage is about 41%.

On 31 January 2021, Grayson was appointed manager of Fleetwood Town, following the departure of previous manager Joey Barton. Grayson left Fleetwood on 24 November 2021.

ISL Experience

Grayson's most recent managerial stint in India was was with Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League.

Under his guidance, the team made it to the 2022-23 ISL Final where they lost by a narrow margin on penalties against ATK Mohun Bagan.

ISL experience is seen as a big plus and could form the basis for AIFF's conversations with the Englishman.

Challenges Ahead

Stimac's stint with the Indian team was turmoil-ridden.

In his five-year tenure, India's FIFA ranking plummeted to 121 and won only 19 out of the 53 matches. Experience and past success are just some of the things that could come in handy for Grayson, should he land the role.

Interesting, football and sports in particular runs in the veins of the Grayson family.

Grayson's son, Joe, made his debut for Blackburn Rovers in 2018, making them the third father-son duo to play for the club.

Meanwhile, Simon's brother, Paul Grayson, is a former professional cricketer.

With the discussions supposedly underway, the football fraternity awaits with bated breath to see if Grayson will take up the challenge of resurrecting Indian football.