Goutam Debnath (L) and S Satish Kumar

Jamshedpur, March 30: Goutam Debnath could not afford to buy boots to play football a few years ago.

Today, the 21-year-old defender is about to graduate from Tata Football Academy (TFA) with offers from clubs including Mohun Bagan ? he has not decided if he is going to accept it.

?I used to practise wearing tattered boots because my father couldn?t afford them,? said the footballer from Dum Dum, Calcutta.

Debnath?s father works for Mother Dairy delivering milk to booths in the mornings.

Batch-mate S. Satish Kumar has a similar story. His father sells fruits in Chennai.

?My parents depend on my income to make ends meet,? said the 20-year-old striker.

Kumar has been approached by Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal to play next season.

Both the cadets joined TFA in 2002.

?My parents cried with happiness when I was selected,? said Debnath.

Both the cadets said they would also pursue their studies if the get time from their commitments with clubs.

TFA chief Satish Pillai said he was glad to see boys from poor families play for big clubs.