Akash Mishra moved to Mumbai City ahead of the start of the season and one important factor for the 21-year-old in choosing the Islanders was Champions League football.
The Football Players’ Association of India’s Young Player of the Year 2022 and the AIFF Men’s Emerging Player of the Year 2022-23, Akash Mishra is eager to get the ball rolling in the top-tier of continental club football.
He will now be stepping onto the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex pitch in Pune’s Balewadi when Mumbai City FC hosts Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran, with Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan’s Navbahor being the other two clubs in Group D.
READ: Neymar Set to Play in India as Mumbai City FC Drawn With Al Hilal for AFC Champions League
The Mumbai City FC left-back opens up in an exclusive interaction with News18.com, on the excitement of playing the AFC Champions League, managing injuries and managing VAR as a defender for the first time.
EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW:
How is the mood in the camp ahead of the first group stage game?
It’s good. Everyone is motivated and excited at the same time, but we know too much excitement is also not good. So we’ll try to stay calm and do our best.
What were your reactions to the draw, personally, especially the prospect of facing top players?
See the players who wanted different teams because there are so many big teams so the giants are there, but it’s always nice to play in such big competition. It is one of the biggest competitions in Asia. And so many teams big teams are there. So yeah, it’s always good to be part of such a competition and playing that and me and as a team, are looking forward to.
The videos of MCFC players reacting to the draw were shared by Europe-based football sites and some even pulled out old footage of Neymar toying with defenders to suggest how MCFC will play. Did the team see those and what was the reaction?
In the video, which even the club posted, when the draw happened, they put the Mumbai City names and we shouted, so I think some of them took it in a different way when Al Hilal was there and we shouted. So I don’t think so there was anything like this. Yes, players are excited that Neymar is in the other team and we will play against him but we have to focus on the competition not only on Neymar and we have to do our best in the competition and progress from there.
How has it been to play under coach Des Buckingham?
It’s really nice. I think I came from when I came from Hyderabad to Mumbai. One of the biggest motivations for me when I spoke to coach Des was how he explained to me how he sees me in his plans, and how he wants to play. Even after coming here, he speaks a lot to the players he tells them about training sessions about games. All the coaching staff are trying to help young players to improve as much as they can. I think that is the thing that we can’t see from the outside. When you come to a big club and you see how players are improving and we only see from the outside okay, this player improved so much last season, but when you come in the club and you see all the background work, then you realise that yes, all these are important and all these are happening here.
What was the primary difference, was it the change in approach? And what have your learning been so far?
I think they (the club and coaches) analysed your training session, they analysed your games as well and they tell you all the small mistakes what you are repeating and what you have to improve and all the all those minor things. When they tell you again and again then it comes to your mind and then you have to extend the next training session when you go then that thing is in your mind and you try to improve that even by training. Also, they tell you after the training and like in the office, they sit down with you they do individual meetings. So all those things really helped me as a player and I think it helps everyone as a player.
Is it hard to change play-styles for club and country?
I don’t know about other players but for me, it’s kind of similar because even here coach Des wants fullbacks to be involved in the build-up and then progress and get involved in the attacking third. And the same in the national team. I think we start the build-up through fullbacks and we try to put the fullbacks up front and attack from there. So for me, it’s kind of a similar situation. Yes, there are little things which can be different for the club and for the country but it’s simple football for the fullbacks you have to be there to defend first and then try to be helpful as much as you can in the attacking third.
Is it helpful to have so many national new players playing for Mumbai City and having that combination for club and country?
One hundred per cent, because when you play with the same place in the national team also in the club also so that understanding always improves and one of the biggest parts in football I think is understanding and communication. Sometimes when the ground is full of fans, you cannot communicate that much. Then understanding comes you have to understand your players you have to understand the partner centre back maybe being so all those things really help.
And you will be playing a lot of games this season – for the national team and for the club – is injury a concern for you?
Always injuries concern but I’m trying my best to be fit. I am putting work in the gym with the fitness coach here even when I’m in the national team and see engineer something which I don’t think any player can control or we have control over that. So I’ll try to put more focus on my body so that I don’t get injured and not get stupid injury also. But yeah, like you said, hope I’ll play many games this season.
What do you actually mean by stupid injuries?
What I mean is, I have to work on myself if I don’t go gym, if I don’t eat good food or healthy food, then all those things will have a bad effect on my body and then for sure for football. All these things are really important.
With more foreign players being allowed in the playing squad, is that helpful for Indian football or benefit the club?
I think even in ISL we play with foreigners and that always helps. I was in Hyderabad for three seasons and I think I learned so many things from the foreign players and even in Mumbai. We have such quality players we have Greg (Stewart), we have Rostyn (Griffiths), Tiri. So when they play with you, you learn from them and I think that is the most important thing for me as a young player and all other young players because while playing also you see what they do, and even after the game has finished training is business sometimes they come and tell you their experience what they thought you could have done at that point. So I think having them in our club or in your team really helps.
Who are you most excited to play against in the Champions League?
Al Hilal, for sure.
The Champions League will have VAR from the group stages itself. Is defending more challenging given there is more scrutiny?
Yeah, it becomes for me I think but it is needed also sometimes when decisions go against you and then you can’t do anything so I think it’s kind of a fair, fair thing and I have never played a game with the VAR so it will be a new thing for me but it will be a same simple football what we do not to do some stupid things inside the box.
And do you would you like VAR to be introduced in ISL as well?
For sure because there have been so many incidents claiming referees’ decisions. So if it is there, it will be helpful.
How important is playing at home in front of Indian fans for Mumbai City because last time they did not get to do that.
I think I think it’s very nice and what I want is for it to be an advantage for us. So even I request all the Indian football fans not even only Mumbai City fans because I think not only Mumbai City fans, even the Indian football fans, they are excited about this campaign and they have expectations from us.
Will Indian fans who want to just see European players in India and end up supporting Al Hilal more?
I don’t think so. Because I have received so many text messages saying that I watch European football. I watch this player and that player, but in this case, it’s about the country and for sure I’ll be supporting Mumbai City FC. What we want from them is to support us and try to come to the stadium as much as they can. And yeah, we need that number, because that helps whenever the crowd is in your favour. That helps and that motivates us to do more.
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