Former India football captain Krishanu Dey, who ruled the national scene in the 1980s, is fighting for life at a Kolkata hospital with severe lung, kidney and liver infections.

Dey, 40, admitted to hospital on Friday, has been diagnosed with "pulmonary embolism" or blood clotting in the lungs. He is also suffering from kidney failure and liver problems.

Dey, whose career spanned more than a decade, is now on a ventilator and his condition has been described by attending doctors at the Woodlands Nursing Home as "critical". He is said to be in deep coma.

About 10 days ago, doctors performed surgery to try and remove the clot.

A wily striker with a strong and accurate header, Dey captained India at the 1992 Asia Cup qualifier against Japan. His hat-trick in the Merdeka Cup in 1986 stood as a record for more than 12 years.

His footballing career was mostly spent with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, but towards the later years he played much of his football with Food Corporation of India (FCI).