Ramesh Redkar

Ramesh Redkar loved the limelight as much as he loved football and could easily handle the fame and glory that came with being such an influential and successful player. The former international midfielder will always be known as the captain who brought home Dempo’s first major trophy, the Rovers Cup in 1975, the first for a Goan club. Slim and highly talented, Redkar kicked off his football career with a bang for Clube Independente de Margao by finishing as the top scorer in the Senior Division League in 1967-68. Soon, clubs like Sesa Goa and Vasco began to show an interest in his services, but within a matter of days, he was lured into the Dempo fold and stayed with the Panjim-based outfit till he retired. At a time when most footballers abhorred studies, Redkar was a rare exception, a science graduate who went on to represent India at the Merdeka Cup in 1973.