Anirudh Thapa has the potential to play in Europe, claims Henrique Sereno
Former Portuguese footballer Henrique Sereno who also played in the Indian Super League for the likes of ATK and Chennaiyin FC has stated that Anirudh Thapa has the potential to play in Europe. Both of the men played an influential role in Chennayin FC’s ISL triumph in the 2017-18 season.
Anirudh Thapa is one of the most promising talents in the country right now, having started his senior career for Chennayin FC back in 2016, after graduating from the AIFF Elite Academy. Thapa impressed for the Super Machans in the Indian Super League and it earned him a call-up from the national side in 2017 against Saint Kitts and Nevis. The midfielder has improved leaps and bounds under former Indian head coach Stephen Constantine and soon became the mainstay in the squad. That has seen former Chennaiyin FC and ATK star Henrique Sereno admit that Anirudh Thapa has the potential to play in Europe.
"We had many good young players like Anirudh Thapa. He can play in Europe. He is a very good number 10 and has very nice skills. We also had Jeje (Lalpekhlua) who is a great striker," said Henrique Sereno, during a Live Instagram chat with Chennayin FC’s fan group Super Machans.
Sereno has played in major European leagues including the La Liga for Real Valladolid and in the Bundesliga for FC Koln. It was following his stint with Mainz in Germany that he set for Indian shores in 2016, when he signed for ATK and won the ISL title with the club in his debut season. When asked who, according to him, was the best Indian player in Chennayin’s ISL triumph back in 2017-18, he was quick to point out Dhanpal Ganesh.
“The strongest Indian player in the club was my captain Dhanpal Ganesh. He is very strong. Usually, Indian players are not too big. Dhanpal used to win every single ball in the midfield. He used to communicate well with the defenders,” added the two-time ISL winner.