NorthEast United FC welcome Delhi Dynamos FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Wednesday. The Highlanders are out of contention for a play-off spot and have only pride to play for. They have lost back-to-back games coming into this tie but will look for a positive result at home against a similarly struggling Delhi side. Nirmal Chettri has been a mainstay in their defence and the 27-year-old spoke to indiansuperleague.com ahead of the game and shared his thoughts. Here are the excerpts.

Which city do you love the most in India?

I’d say Kolkata because I have played there for many years and it was my dream to play in a big club. So yes, definitely Kolkata.

Which NorthEast players according to you have a very bright future?

It has to be Sushil (Meitei) and (Lalrempuia) Fanai. They are talented and have the potential to be at the top in the league.

How does it feel to play at your home ground?

Home is where the heart is. So, I am happy to be here. NorthEast has one of the best fans in the country. So, I always love to play at home.

What do you think sets NorthEast apart from the other teams?

We have many forms of culture in NorthEast, be it food or any other culture. So, it’s always good to be in NorthEast.

One word to describe Marcinho?

Intelligent. Very clean.

For TP (Rehenesh)?

Good boy.

Your captain, Jose Goncalves?

Leader.

Rowllin Borges?

Technically gifted.

Len (Seiminlen Doungel)?

Hard working, talented and the future of Indian.

What are your thoughts on your coach Avram Grant?

We are lucky to be under him. It’s a great to train under him. He has worked with many teams, and we feel lucky to work with him. We have learnt so much as a player from him.

How do you rate your performance so far in the league?

Not good, because in football individual does not count. As a team we have been bad, so we are disappointed to be out of the race for qualification so early. But we will chin up; we have some matches to play. We will put up our best effort and try to finish in the middle of the league.

What kind of a match are you expecting against Delhi?

Delhi is a good side. Even they have nothing to lose. We are both playing for pride. Though we beat them in their home, but tomorrow will be a different game. So, we will be prepared for the match and play for pride.