New Delhi: His national teammate from Manipur Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem may have left the I-League mid-way in search of greener pastures in foreign land but U-17 World Cup star Jeakson Singh who remains India’s first and only ever goalscorer in a FIFA World Cup feels that the league is very exciting and full of pleasant surprises and that playing amidst some of the best players in the country is itself a reward for them.
“The I-League experience has been exciting and full of pleasant surprises. Right from the first match every second spent on the pitch has been nothing short than extraordinary. At the end of the day we are sharing the pitch with some of the best players of the country and that in itself is a big accolade for us,” said Jeakson, who is playing for the Indian Arrows after being loaned by Minerva Punjab.
The opportunity to play in such a highly-competitive league is a challenge for them feels the 16-year-old from Manipur whose parents once failed to meet ends but now is a father and mother to one of India’s biggest stars.
“There are players who can literally change the outcome of a match with a swing of their feet and that fused with high intensity has certainly been one of the challenges,” he said. But lack of experience has cost them at crunch situations claimed the midfielder. “Teams in the Hero I-league are very tactically organized and have much more experience under their belts as compared to us which proves to be the difference in crunch matches.”
While his name echoed in most parts of the country after his fabulous header against Colombia in the U-17 World Cup, that fetched India it’s first ever goal in a FIFA tournament, there is no such additional pressure now to score in the I-League he informed.
“My job as a midfielder is to provide support to the defence and the forwards as per the situation. If I get a chance to score I will take it, but there is no pressure on me to score,” said the youngstar. But “If the opportunity comes, like it did against Colombia in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, I will not shy away from doing what is needed,” he added.
Indian Arrows head coach Luis Norton de Matos has time and again talked about the experience and understanding, his young colts need to gain from every match and Jeakson’s words sounded of India heading to the right direction in it’s future prospects.
His understanding of the game made one feel him to have been playing for ages. “It is important to be focused and be in position while playing as a midfielder. Going forward too high can leave a gap in the midfield and the opponent can benefit from it,” he said when asked if he wishes to go more upwards for a chance to score.
Norton’s expectations of his boys in the ongoing competion has been experience, more important than a win. But Jeakson hopes for a top four finish.
While most teams have foreign recruits and experience that make the difference in matches, “We have been together longer than some of the club teams and hence, we have a bond of brotherhood established between us,” said Norton’s trusted lieutenant.
“Everything we do on the pitch is as a single unit and that is where our strength lies. We play as a unit, we attack as a unit and we defence as a unit,” he concluded.