The death on Tuesday of former India captain V.P. Sathyan came as a rude shock for the football fraternity. More so for those who were directly associated with him as teammate or coach. The following are some of their reactions (in alphabetic order):

Jo Paul Ancheri (teammate in Mohun Bagan and India): I am without my captain today. I have played under many skippers, but I regard him as my only leader. He is the best captain I have played under. He knew each and every footballer individually and used to talk to them separately. He knew how to lead the team.

Even as a footballer, he led from the front. He appeared calm and cool even under tough conditions. He had a solid technique and a very high level of confidence. How can such a person lose his life like this?

P.K. Banerjee (former national coach): I am speechless. The first thing that comes to my mind is 1985-86 when I picked him for the India squad when Subrata Bhattacharya and Manoranjan Bhattacharya were both unavailable. He was accompanied by Saraf Ali and Benny. Sathyan, back then, was an awkward 17-year-old teenager who later transformed into a fine defender.

His rebirth as a central midfielder shows how keen a student he was. As a coach I would say Sathyan, Aloke Mukherjee and Derrick Perreira improved most in the latter part of their careers. Last time when I met him, he promised me all help for any youth programme. My thoughts go out to his family.

Tarun Dey (former India teammate): I have played with Sathyan for a very brief period of time. Apart from being a good footballer, he was a loveable character. Four months back, I bumped into him during an All-India bank tournament. He seemed jovial as ever. I have no idea how a man of his nature can meet such a fate.

Amal Dutta (former Mohun Bagan coach): I cannot believe this. I have been to Kerala several times. On every occasion I enjoyed coaching him. When he was playing under me for Kerala Police, he took special initiative to arrange the ground and look after other needs. In Calcutta as well, I have some very good memories both during the Nehru Cup camp and his stint with Mohun Bagan in 1992. As a footballer, he was a complete one. To sum up, I cannot forget his contributions both as a player and a human being.

Sisir Ghosh (Mohun Bagan teammate): The news of death came as a shock to me as we have played together for so many years both in the national squad and the club. To me he was more of a midfielder than a defender. Though he played as a defender, his strength was his long range shots. He scored a brilliant goal off a pile driver against South Korea in the Mardeka Cup 1986. In the 1991-92, we played for Mohun Bagan and got more friendly. Apart from being a clean player, he was a tremendous human being too.

Henry Menezes (closest friend and roommate): I have no words to express my grief. He used to be my roommate in the Indian team and we have spent hours together. Sathyan was a gem of a person and would do anything for someone he liked. I have lost my brother.

As a player he was rock solid. These days we rarely find a defender like him. He was successful at the international level owing to his good technique and ability to minimise his mistakes. As a goalkeeper, I felt safe in his presence.

Aloke Mukherjee (India teammate): I cannot believe that a guy of such a strong mentality meeting such an end. We have played in the Seoul Asian Games, Mardeka Cup in 1986 and he was an utility player both in the defence and midfield. As both of us took coaching as a profession, we have been meeting each other till 2005 and could never imagine this fate. It is true that in recent times, were not in touch.

Sukhwinder Singh (assistant coach of the Indian team in 1987): As a defender and a midfielder, Sathyan had very few weaknesses. He had a very good physique, packed enormous power in his shots and was a strong header to boot. His biggest plus-point was his fighting ability that brought him success at the international level.

But I will always remember him as a fine gentleman and a good human being. Jovial, carefree and always willing to help, Sathyan was a highly popular man in the football circuit. I cannot believe he can leave us under such circumstances.

I.M. Vijayan (teammate in Kerala Police, Mohun Bagan and India): Today is one of the worst days in my life. To me, Sathyan was not only a great footballer, but a friend, philosopher and guide. He was my idol when I was young.

No one knew me when I joined Kerala Police in the mid-eighties. Sathyan, by that time, had already represented India. But he guided me all along and provided constant encouragement. It was a hard decision for me to join Mohun Bagan. Sathyan advised me to play in Calcutta. He said there was no point in sticking around in Kerala and advised me to go out and see the world.