Rejection can be a hard pill for anyone to swallow. The thought of getting back on your feet after being down and out can be a daunting task. For Rahul Bheke, the thought of giving up never occurred to him, despite numerous setbacks. In an exclusive interview with indiansuperleague.com, the Bengaluru defender threw light on his footballing journey, including the trials and tribulations, most notably, during the heartbreaking defeat to Chennaiyin FC in the 2017-18 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) final.

Where it all started

Bheke’s romance with football began when he was a kid, playing for his high-school team. His undoubted talent fueled by his love and passion for the game convinced him to make a career out of it. “It all started with turning out for my school team – St. Augustine High School, Nerul, which I must say, was a top side. We kept winning so much and with every passing trophy, I began believing that I could make a career out of something I love. In the final of a state-level tournament, I scored in a 2-0 win and I wasn’t going to look back after that. I got done with my board exams and went for a trial at Mahindra United where I made the U-19 team. That was the start of something special.”

The 27-year-old right-back also shared an amusing memory from his school days, when he had geared up to play his first ever game. “This one is from school. I was going to play my first ever game, but I had no clue of how you go about preparing for it on matchday. So, I woke up at 6 am, wore my football boots with my uniform and went and attended school, after which I travelled to play the game, a good six hours later. When I reached there I saw the others carrying a spare bag with football boots in them. When I got back home after the game, I had the worst leg sores ever!”

Surprise addition

Speaking about his late inclusion in the Kerala Blasters side in Hero ISL 2015, Bheke voiced the wildly contrasting emotions he faced during that spell. “I was part of the draft in 2015 but wasn’t picked by any team and I was terribly dejected. Later I got a call from Blasters asking me to join the team to replace an injured player. At that moment, I told myself that I will have that kind of a season that will never put me in a situation where I don’t get picked in a draft.”

Since joining Bengaluru FC, Bheke has established himself as a mainstay in the squad and one of the finest Indian defenders in the league. He initially learnt of the Blues’ interest in him during a five-a-side game with Sunil Chhetri. “I knew I was working hard and trying to do all the right things, but I didn’t expect Bengaluru FC to come for me. One day before the draft, a few of us – Sunil Bhai, Jeje (Lalpekhlua), Sandesh (Jhingan) and a few others – played a five-a-side game in Mumbai and that’s when Sunil bhai gave me an idea that the club could be chasing me in the draft. It felt really good.”

Overcoming heartbreak

Coming into the new season, the 2017-18 final loss will still be fresh on the minds of most Bengaluru players. Bheke spoke of the team’s disappointment after the loss and how they used it as a motivation for their Hero Super Cup triumph. “We were so, so disappointed because we knew that we were the better team over the season but were second best on that night. We all felt we deserved a trophy for the kind of football we played and that motivated us to go and win the Hero Super Cup.”

He concluded by speaking about the club’s targets for the new season. “We all want to go one step further. It is meaningless if I have a great season personally, but we don’t achieve our goals and targets as a team. We know we have a good squad that’s willing to fight.”

Read about Bengaluru’s season preview here.