Shivajians rope in Englishman Rogers as head coach

The Englishman would take charge of leading the club into its second season in the I-League with immediate effect, the Pune-based club announced on Tuesday.

Rogers joins DSK Shivajians FC from his role as head coach of the Liverpool International Football Academy DSK Shivajians, a position he took up following retirement and a host of coaching stints in Ireland and the United Kingdom. As a player he had a 21-year career representing clubs in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Holland.

“Entering into our second season of play, we wanted to show our fans and our players that we are committed to putting a quality product on the pitch, and we couldn t think of a better way to communicate it than hiring someone like Dave Rogers,” said the club’s President, Shirish Kulkarni.

“Dave s ability, work ethic and passion combined with his international playing experience and knowledge of Indian football makes him the ideal person for this position,” he added.

During his two years heading up the club’s academy, Rogers guided the youth team to consecutive final rounds of the Under-19 and Under-18 I-League, respectively, after finishing second in the Maharashtra Zone, trailing only on goal difference on both occasions.

He was also instrumental in creating opportunities for four players from the academy to represent India, including 18-year-old Lallianzuala Chhangte who scored a brace in his first full debut for the senior national team against Nepal at the 2015 SAFF Cup.

“I am very excited and proud about the prospect of working with DSK Shivajians FC. I am looking forward to the day-to-day challenge of competing in the I-League and other competitions. I would also like to thank Mr. Shirish Kulkarni for placing his trust in me for this important position,” said Rogers.