The northern region of Chandigarh surely has one reason to feel elated – Sandesh Jhingan. This lad’s career so far has seen him fill the ranks of several Hero I-League clubs. A defender by trade, Jhingan has gained more fame since the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) last year, mainly for his versatility.We went head-to-head with this young gun and chatted with him in an exclusive interview with indiansuperleague.com. Excerpts below:Talking upfront about his stint in the first edition of ISL, a very modest Jhingan remarked, “Personally, I had an average (ISL) season. Everyone says I had a great season, but with my few mistakes, I’d say it was an above-average season. I have to improve and hopefully, I will play better.”Speaks volumes of his commitment, doesn’t it? Jhingan had a wonderful season with Kerala Blasters FC last year. He started every game he played – and that would be 14 in a season. His tally of nine shots and 21 crosses played a major role in getting the club reach the final of the inaugural season. This, eventually fetched him the ISL Emerging Player of the Year Award. Besides, he has also represented India at a very young age – his recent achievement being included in U-23 national side for Asian Games 2014. A product of the St. Stephen’s Football Academy, his exploits on the U-19 circuit helped his home state Chandigarh clinch the BC Roy Trophy in 2011.Jhingan considers lack of concentration his biggest drawback in his development. “I think that comes with maturity as well. I lose my concentration pretty fast, so I have to dig myself out of it. Hopefully, I should work and improve upon it.”He beams when asked about his ISL club. “I think we had potential last year as well [to win the League]. It’s all about belief. Even if you have the best players in the world, you can’t win anything without belief. We have a new coach, but the system will be the same because both the coaches are English – David [James] and Peter [Taylor]. We also have the likes of Trevor [Morgan], so I think we’re building a good squad here. Hopefully, the team will gel together, work harder and keep the faith.”However, he finds ex-teammate Iain Hume’s departure from Kerala Blasters hard to digest. “Humey is a very good friend of mine, so when he signed for Atlético de Kolkata, he told me before he signed. I wish him all the luck. But even if Kerala have let him go, it is probably because they have a better plan to bring in someone who will do better.”For ‘Sandy’, Borja Fernandez was a ‘leader in the midfield’ and by far, the best international player in the last ISL season. “He was the boss,” he exclaimed. On the other hand, Jhingan counted Gurwinder Singh as the best Indian player while his toughest opponent was Rehenesh TP because “he stopped everything shot at him”.Come October, you can catch Sandesh Jhingan in action at the Hero Indian Super League as his team Kerala Blasters FC go up against NorthEast United FC in their season opener at home on October 6.
