Deepak Mandal: role model for young Indian defenders.For a central defender, Deepak Mandal looks anything but intimidating, unlike most others of his ilk. The Indian ace, however, makes up for his lack of inches with his composure, crisp tackling and an excellent reading of the game that underlines his reputation as one of the country’s most celebrated defenders of the new millennium.Mandal has been mainly playing as wing back in recent times for his clubs, and it is in this position that one may see the 2002 All India Football Federation Player of the Year awardee, who now turns out for Mumbai City FC in the upcoming Hero Indian Super League (ISL).“It’s a fantastic feeling to be a part of the ISL,” Mandal tells indiansuperleague.com at the team hotel in Navi Mumbai after a training session. “I have just taken part in my first few training sessions and I can already feel that we have a good mix of players. The Indian boys in the team are all very talented players and Manuel Friedrich has already settled in well. I think we are looking at something very special.”Mandal and Mahesh Gawli made arguably the best central defensive pairing for India in the recent past. In fact, most of the current generation of domestic defenders consider either the Jharkhand-born Mandal or Goan stalwart Gawli as their role models. When reminded about his reputation, the 2010 Arjuna awardee is modesty personified: “I feel happy that people recognise the efforts that I put in for my country. I have a long way to go, though. I am always learning. I never feel that I am someone great. If I put my head down and play well, it’s the fans who will decide whether I am worthy enough to be put in that ‘great’ bracket.”Judging by the amount of banter in Bangla between him, Subrata Paul and Syed Rahim Nabi at the training session, Mondal is happy that these guys are part of the set-up. “It’s fun and at the same time, it’s a great thing to have such high quality players in the team. Nabi, as we all know, is a very talented lad, and it’s always heartening for a defender to know that Subrata is guarding the sticks behind you in case you slip up,” Mandal says, grinning!Having spent a considerable amount of his playing career in the 'city of joy', Mandal is relishing the prospect of locking horns with Atlético de Kolkata in the opening game of the ISL on October 12, in Kolkata's famous Salt Lake stadium. “I am highly excited. Salt Lake has been my home ground on so many occasions. It feels different, visiting the stadium as an away team, but the prospect of playing there again has me pumped up,” he confesses.The self-professed John Terry fan realises the importance of a good start but is not going to get carried away. “We are not thinking about winning. We want to go there and play our brand of football to our utmost capabilities. We want to give it our best. Whether that fetches us a draw or a win is something that will be known after the game. Three points will be fantastic because well begun is half done, but we must concentrate on executing our philosophy first,” he explains.Having secured almost every major winnable domestic title during his 14-year professional career with the likes of East Bengal, Mahindra United, Mohun Bagan and Prayag United, as well as prestigious trophies for the national team (Nehru Cup in 2007 and 2009, the AFC Challenge Cup in between and the SAFF Championship earlier in 1999), Mandal downplays the expectations of going all the way. “I’ll not make any promises regarding winning the title,” he declares. “The fans should come and watch us and cheer us on. They’ll see for themselves what we are capable of!”
