If space was the final frontier for the characters of Star Trek on their mission to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before, India could be the next frontier for the globally orientated clubs of the Barclays Premier League. As David Gill, the Manchester United chief executive, boldly observed last month: “India is interesting.”

Captain Kirk, of the Starship Enterprise, may have put it a shade more enthusiastically before setting forth across the galaxies. Yet, with a population of 1.13 billion, 20 million footballers and 60 million viewers tuning into the Premier League last season, India is indeed interesting.

Stephen Constantine knows this better than most. He coached the India team between 2002 and 2005, raised their profile and experienced their passion for football first-hand.

Cricket is the popularly accepted staple diet in India, with big business bankrolling the Indian Premier League and Indian Cricket League. It may just be, though, that United and their Premier League peers should get a move on if they want to tap the new alternative investment market in the sub-continent’s sport.

“Tell me how cricket is more popular,” Constantine asked. “For an India Test match against South Africa at Eden Gardens on a Sunday afternoon, 40,000 people turned up. When India played Japan [also in Calcutta] on a Wednesday afternoon, a working day, there were more than 100,000 and people fighting to get in.

“Sure, cricket gets the big deals, the big sponsorship, but there are more and more kids playing football in India. There is a huge, untouched market for business opportunities, huge potential, and David Gill is a forward-thinking guy. Anyone in their right mind should be looking to establish links with India.”

Arsenal have, getting involved in a coaching project that led to 16 Indian youngsters playing at the recent Arsenal international festival in Egham, Surrey. Will Arsène Wenger take the hint and organise a preseason trip to Bombay, Delhi and Goa next year? Perhaps not.

It would appear that Arsenal are doing it the right way. The “take the money and run” approach, the smash-and-grab exhibition match worth £1.5 million, may give the locals a cheap thrill, but, Constantine believes, it will do little for lasting affection, not to mention shirt sales. Setting up soccer schools, financially backing a club, guiding it and nurturing it is the way to win hearts and minds permanently.

“Football needs to be developed there,” Constantine said. “If United were to think that all India would suddenly become United fans, that would be naive. The people don’t want to be used, they want to be helped. You’ve got to give as much as you take and if an English club were to sponsor an Indian club or community, that would be fine.”

Constantine, 45, who lives in Limassol, Cyprus, would like to assist. He is one of England’s most qualified coaches, England’s only Fifa instructor and is between jobs since leaving his position with the Malawi team. He went for a coaching role at Old Trafford several years ago, but drew a blank. “David Gill knows about me,” he said. “They should have my CV.”

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