From 2006, coaching staff will need to have the Pro License to even sit on the bench – already the case in most of Europe. “The Pro License is a good thing – but it’s 10 years overdue. Of course, for the likes of Alex Ferguson it will be a formality – and rightly so. But a lot of managers will be in trouble. If they’ve not had 10 years professional managerial experience they’ll have to go back to school and some are going to really struggle.”

“It’s absurd in England that someone like Carlton Palmer can walk straight into a managerial job with absolutely no experience. I don’t blame him for taking the job [at Stockport], but the system has to be questioned. Look at Kevin Keegan – is he qualified to be a manager? By his own admission he wasn’t qualified to manage England; but he’s not exactly been a success with the club teams he’s managed either. It’s not enough to have charisma, you need tactical and management skills. And what about Alan Ball? Every one of his sides has been relegated. We have been living in the dark ages.”

For the moment, Constantine will just have to make do with international management. In addition to the senior side, he also looks after the Indian Under-17s, -19s and –21s, and could be allowed a rueful smile at the sort of headaches faced by his England counterpart. For one, working in a country with a caste system and so much regional diversity, puts club v country rows and club-based tribal loyalties firmly in perspective.

“I’ve had a number of players come to me and say ‘if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be here’, meaning they were not of the right caste or from the right region. When I took over I held a press conference making it quite clear that these things didn’t interest me, that players would be picked on merit and that I wouldn’t tolerate interference. It seems to have done the trick – I think a lot of people viewed it as a breath of fresh air.

“When I arrived there was a bit of a regional divide, with the Calcutta boys in one camp and the Bombay boys in another. I’ve insisted on mixing it up and we now do everything together (the team had just returned from their latest bonding session – a trip to Bombay to watch Bend it Like Beckham). A lot of things needed shaking up. There was also a culture of complacency - once you were in the squad, you were safe for five years. I’ve been happy to drop some of the old guard and not afraid to pick 17 year olds if they are good enough.”

Which begs the question – is there an Indian Rooney on the horizon? “We do have three or four very talented young players. The icon here is Baichung Bathia [the Indian team captain, who spent three seasons at Bury and remains the only player from the Indian sub-continent to have played in England]. He is still by far the best player we have, and was hugely unlucky not to have had a better time of things in England – I think he’ll be back in Europe next season. In terms of the youngsters – two to look out for are Asim Biswas, and Climax [yes, that’s Climax] Lawrence – India’s Patrick Vieira.”

One problem he doesn’t face is discipline. “You’d never have a problem with an Indian player going out on the piss the night before a match, although they are partial to a traditional Indian breakfast – which is very tasty, but not ideal in dietary terms. There is a strong sense of collective responsibility and respect in Indian culture, which is a big advantage for me. Having said that, the other day they all went shopping without telling me. I fined them 30 quid each – that’s a lot of money here.”

Eriksson would surely be envious of the extent to which Constantine has been given a chance to help restructure domestic football. “I’ve been asked to come up with a plan for a new league format from next season. The league system here is very complicated. As well as the national league, there are also regional state leagues, which are important because they generate money for the different state governments. Then, as well as various national cups, you have a state cup as well. It means a lot of fixtures and a lot of travelling – trekking several thousand miles for an away game is no joke. I’ve proposed a scheme for streamlining the fixture schedule, and playing the main cup – the Federation Cup – during two weeks at the end of the season – that would make a lot of sense and make things a lot better for the national team.”

Constantine is still optimistic that his achievements and experience will eventually receive due recognition closer to home, but doesn’t expect to be taking route one back to Blighty. “I’m a firm believer that hard work pays off. I’ve still got plenty to learn, but if things continue to go well with India, then I think another opportunity in Asia might come along – maybe China, or even Japan or South Korea. Beyond that, given existing attitudes, western Europe remains a more realistic possibility than England.”

“My wife complains that I’m a total chameleon and that I’d change my skin colour and religion for the sake of my job. She’s probably got a point – I love my family dearly, but football is my life. The other month I turned up at a game wearing a tie that had been made for me in the Indian national colours. The crowd went wild. When I see things like that it makes me realise how lucky I am. I might not be coaching a top European club (yet), but this kind of experience is unique.”

For more information about Indian football visit: www.indianfootball.com

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