Subhas Bhowmick was way ahead of his time and a master of psychology, believes Bhaichung Bhutia, the former India captain who played under him in East Bengal.

“It’s a huge personal loss. He would be remembered for many reasons but one which readily comes to mind is that he was the first to think out of the box in Indian club football as early as in 2003,” Bhaichung told The Telegraph on Saturday.

“Before going to Jakarta for the Asean Cup, the whole team stayed at a five-star property and prepared for the tournament. Before that I don’t think any Indian club thought about that. He brought in a physical trainer, modernised recovery sessions. Now these things are par for the course but nearly 20 years ago, it was impossible to think about them. He was way ahead of his time,” he said.

“I won the Asean Cup and I-League under his coaching. He always used to give confidence to the players. For a player, it is very important to get the coach’s support. But the reason I love him most is he always spoke his mind,” Bhaichung added.

For former India captain Debjit Ghosh, it was hard to believe that friend, philosopher and guide ‘Bhowmickda’ is no more. “I’m very disturbed today,” Debjit said.

“I have so many memories. I had fought with him a hundred times and most of the incidents happened at his place in front of his wife and son. I never thought he would leave us so early,” he said. “Because of him, I started coaching. Whenever I felt any difficulty I called him for a solution. And Bhowmickda never disappointed me,” Debjit said.

Alvito D’Cunha and Douglas de Silva regard Bhowmick as a father figure. “I was not having a good time on the ground so he took me to his place and kept me there for more than three months. That time, he used to prepare my diet chart and gave me special training. It’s a huge loss,” Alvito said.

Brazilian Douglas owes his success in India to Bhowmick. “He was very important to my life. I played under several coaches but he was the reason for my success in Indian football.

“He knew how to motivate players. I am shocked to know he is no more,” Douglas said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief, saying Bhowmick’s death would leave a “void” in sports.