As the world ushers in 2019, it's time to look to the future with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. For the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) ecosystem, 2018 was a crucial year as fans saw the league evolve and improve exponentially. That, in turn, has set the bar even higher for the year ahead. As with any new year, the process of looking forward begins with resolutions, be it personal or professional.

Here, we talk to a few Hero ISL stars to know about their new year resolutions for 2019.

Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters FC)

The past year has been a mixed bag for Sandesh Jhingan. While the defender has tasted a lot of success with the national team, his time with his Hero ISL side Kerala Blasters hasn’t quite been so joyous. Kerala have been struggling in Hero ISL 2018-19 and currently find themselves in eighth position, with a playoff spot looking very unlikely. For Sandesh, 2019 is all about giving the passionate Kerala fans something to cheer about.

“I am not a person who makes resolutions, but if I had to make one, it would be to try and be a better person. The Kerala fans are the best in the world for me. I know it has been a tough season, but we will always give it our all for them and thank you for all the unconditional love you have shown us. In 2019, we are going to turn things around for sure and work hard. Sending lots of love from my heart and thank you for everything,” he said.

Modou Sougou (Mumbai City FC)

Mumbai City FC’s Modou Sougou has been nothing short of a revelation for the Islanders this season. The Senegalese striker, playing his first-ever Hero ISL, has been firing in goals at will and is currently the joint second-highest scorer in the league with nine goals to his name. In the last Hero ISL match of the year, Sougou also created history by becoming the first player to score four goals in a single match. However, for Sougou, the new year will be more than just personal milestones. The striker wants to repay the love and support he has received from the Mumbai fans by bringing the Hero ISL trophy to the maximum city.

“I hope the new year will be better than 2018. Last year had a lot of positives and negatives, but what I hope for everybody, especially for the Mumbai fans, is that they will be happy in April (when the season ends). With respect to football, in the end, what is most important is that we win something. I hope, for the Mumbai fans, we can win something for them,” he revealed.

Hitesh Sharma (ATK)

ATK made a rocky start to the season but have since recovered. But the two-time Hero ISL champions still have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season in 2019, if they are to clinch one of the coveted playoff spots. For youngster Hitesh Sharma, reaching the top four is the first part of his new year’s resolution.

“My first aim would be to help the team qualify for the playoffs and then win the Hero ISL. I would also like to create more chances to score and assist for my team,” the 21-year-old said.

Rowllin Borges (NorthEast United FC)

NorthEast’s Rowllin Borges has seemed like a brand new player in 2018. Under head coach Eelco Schattorie, the defensive midfielder has been transformed into an excellent box-to-box midfielder in a short amount of time. Borges is still terrific when it comes to shielding his defenders, but the 26-year-old has added an attacking edge to his game that we have never seen before. Before this season started, Borges had 29 Hero ISL caps under his belt without scoring or assisting a single goal. But in Hero ISL 2018-19, the Goa-born player has already notched up two assists and two very important goals for his team. When asked about his new year’s resolution, Borges kept it short and simple – to become even better.

“My personal resolution would be to do much better than what I had done last year,” the India international stated.