Sailendra Nath Manna

Born: 1 September 1924

Died: 27 February 2012

He known popularly as Sailen Manna was an Indian international footballer and is considered to be one of the best defenders India has ever produced.
He has represented and captained India in different international competitions including the Olympics and Asian Games.
He also has a record of playing for Mohun Bagan, one of the best clubs in India, for a continuous period of 19 years.
He is the only Asian Footballer ever to be named among the 10 best Captains in the world by the English FA in 1953.
He started his playing career for Howrah Union, then a club in the 2nd Division Kolkata Football League, in 1940.
After turning out for the club for a couple of seasons, he joined Mohun Bagan in 1942 and continued playing for the club till his retirement in 1960.
Between 1950 and 1955, he featured as the club’s captain.
During his 19-year association with the club as a player, he reportedly earned only ₹19.
Speaking to Sportstar in 2006, he reasoned that he “played out of love for the sport and was happy with the salary I got from my employer, the Geological Survey of India.”
As a defender, he was known for his anticipation, covering and a strong free-kick.