Unacquainted with Bengali eating habits at his prime, former footballer Harjinder Singh on Sunday recalled how PK Banerjee's wife helped him with separating flesh from a bony fish, after heady doses of football lessons by her legendary husband.
Banerjee died in Kolkata on Friday after a prolonged illness. He was 83.
A big part of Banerjee's legacy was his man-management skills, and Harjinder shared his experience of the same, stating that he "gave each player his due" and knew how to bring the best out of each player.
Harjinder shared an anecdote: "Mr Banerjee's family was attached to football and often he would invite us to his home for dinner. I remember this one incident vividly -- I had just come from Punjab and was not able to eat the fish curry because of the bones.
"Seeing my plight, he caringly asked his wife to separate the bones just for me. He said to me: 'Tujhe maine ghar bulaya aur tune fish hi nahi khayi toh kya faayda hua' (I invited you home and if you don't eat the fish, it is pointless).
"It was quite amazing and showed that he genuinely cared for people."
"There is intense pressure on the coaches in Bengal and the rivalry between the clubs is at another level. With a new signing and key player injured, any coach can come under pressure. However, Mr Banerjee remained composed and stood by me."
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