NorthEast United FC travel to the Mumbai Football Arena to take on Mumbai City FC on Thursday in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18. The Highlanders have already been knocked out of contention for a playoff berth and will fight for pride against Mumbai. The visitors’ young midfielder Halicharan Narzary has been in good form, having assisted in three of NorthEast’s 10 strikes this season, even though he was sidelined for a few games due to injury. On the eve of the match, the 23-year-old spoke to the indiansuperleague.com about the season and more. Here are the excerpts. 

How do you analyse your performance this Hero ISL season?

Basically, I worked as hard as I could. In the middle, I faced some injuries as well for which there were some problems. But I put in as much hard work as I could for the team. 

What do you think went wrong with NorthEast this season?

Basically, there was nothing wrong with the team. All the players who came tried to work hard and put in an effort to win. It’s just that we didn’t have enough luck. We tried to follow what our coach asked us to do. We played well also, but we lacked luck and the ability to score. We were conceding goals in the ending minutes but were not being able to pull one back and that is where I think we went wrong. 

What will be your team’s game plan against Mumbai?

We will play as per the coach’s instructions and for our team - NorthEast United FC. Even if we win or lose, nothing is going to change. So now we will play for our club and the team. 

Which has been the toughest team to face till now?

We have played with a number of teams this entire season, but according to me, Bengaluru FC were the toughest team to face. 

According to you, which player from your team has the quality to represent India in the future?

We have a number of junior players and amongst them, there is Lalrempuia Fanai. He has a lot of quality and talent and may go on to play for India further down the line. 

What difference has the addition of Maic Sema and John Mosquera brought to the team?

Definitely, there has been a difference in the team after the signing of these two players. It feels a little different now for sure. 

How has the experience been playing under Avram Grant?

I am getting to learn a lot. I really like him and he’s a very good coach. I hope I get to learn more in the coming days. Even now I am trying to learn as much as I can under him, and though not much days are left, I will try to take in as much as I can. I am very happy about it.