Former England and Tottenham Hotspur defender Ledley King said though Indian football has progressed extensively in the last few years, the country needed to spread the sport more effectively at the grassroots to emerge a true global power.

King attributed the considerable growth of football here to the Indian Super League.

“We actually got a chance to go to an ISL game on Thursday to watch Bengaluru FC. We’re looking forward to that and that will give us a bigger indication of where the ISL is at now.

“But I have been following the league. I have been in India about five years ago and the standard then and you compare the standard right now, it is much better,” King said after Tottenham’s partnership with the Bangalore-based Kickstart FC.

King said the idea behind such partnerships was to enable India to play at the Fifa World Cup one day, strengthening the core level of football.

Osvaldo Ardiles, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 1978 and a Spurs legend as well as an ambassador, also insisted on the work to be done on the base level. “You have to work at the bottom and work your way up, like playing in schools regularly.

“Then, improving the grassroots is key. We’re here to make that difference right at the bottom that will, hopefully, make a difference at the top,” said Ardiles.

PTI