Saturday marks the commencement of the 2018-19 edition of Hero Indian Super League (ISL), which kicks-off with two-time finalists Kerala Blasters FC travelling to Kolkata to face ATK at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan for the season opener.

After taking over the reigns of his former club halfway through the 2017-18 campaign, Kerala’s head coach David James would be hoping to guide his team to unprecedented heights this season with a new-look squad. Ahead of season’s first match, the former England international addressed the media at the pre-match press conference.

After spending the summer implementing his philosophy into the team, James has firmly set his targets for the new season. “We look forward to winning the Hero ISL not only this season but in future seasons as well. We have the youngest squad in the league. It’s not that I am an ageist. A lot of young talent has come through the ranks. Not everyone will feature in this season but again after the January transfer window, things can change. It is an interesting strategy that we have worked on.”

The Englishman also stressed the importance of getting off to a good start and building momentum as the season takes shape. “Winning every single game is important. We want to set the record straight with ATK. At the same time, we have to appreciate that it is a long season. If the game against ATK is the final, that would be the game that we would want or rather need to win. But yes, we again want to win tomorrow and start the season on a good note.”

The 48-year-old also shed light on the talent of new signing Dheeraj Singh, who could possibly make his debut for the club soon. “Dheeraj is of a tender age. My expectation from him as an individual is the same as anybody else in the squad. There is no guarantee that he will ever start. But having said that, we selected him because he is a talented young player. He played well in the U-17 World Cup. He trained well in Scotland. We got positive feedback from the club. In training, he has proved to be a very capable goalkeeper. If he starts, then he is the most capable and that goes for any player.”