Young forward Rahul KP, who recently signed a contract extension with Kerala Blasters FC, shared his excitement when discussing about playing under their new head coach Kibu Vicuna. The versatile forward is looking forward to proving himself on the pitch under Vicuna having missed a majority of last season due to an injury.

“Although I haven’t worked under Kibu in the past, I’m eagerly looking forward to training and learning new techniques and tactics with him. I’m keen to prove myself on the field. I’m confident that the coach has a definitive plan for the squad and also for every player. I hope to showcase the best of my abilities for the overall achievement of the club’s goals for the season,” the 20-year-old forward said in an interview with goal.com.

Having spent quality time at home during the lockdown, Rahul used the opportunity to recover from his injuries and work on his physical as well as mental fitness. “I’m very happy to have gotten quality moments with my family, time to introspect on myself, understand my weaknesses, sufficient time to recover from my injuries from last season, work harder on my fitness and mentally prepare for the upcoming season,” he said.

Memo: Hopeful this season will be better than my previous ones in India

Now with the new season just around the corner, the forward is raring to take the field and link up with his teammates, Rahul said, “Although the past six months have been a mixed bag of emotions, it is now time to get back with the team, train hard, maintain fitness levels and proper diets and get back on schedule for yet another challenging season."

Keeping in mind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) season will be held in Goa behind closed doors. Rahul, who has a strong emotional connect with Goa, is ready for the challenges ahead.

“Goa is my second home. I have a lot of friends and family here at Goa, similar to Kerala, who only hope for my best. They are my biggest motivation. It is a challenge that I may not be able to see them due to the safety regulations of the league, but I’m happy that they are around. I have a very strong emotional connect with Goa that words can’t explain,” he shared.

“While I truly miss my home and the yellow sea at our home stadium, I’m ready to take up this challenge because challenges define a person, helps you get better and is the only way to know how tough you are,” Rahul concluded.