In their quest of reaching the summit of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 table, Chennaiyin FC travel east to meet the defending champions ATK at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday. The visitors succumbed to a shock 1-3 defeat against NorthEast United FC in their last encounter and will look to collect maximum points against the struggling hosts. One of the most consistent performers for Chennaiyin this season has been their Dutch midfielder Gregory Nelson, who has played in each of their 11 matches, notching up a goal in the process. Before the east-meets-south clash, indiansuperleague.com caught up with the 30-year-old for his views on the league and the game ahead. Here are the excerpts.

After the loss to NorthEast, what is the thought process going into the match against ATK?

We just want to bounce back from the last game we lost and go for the three points.

You have played in Bahrain as well. How different is Hero ISL when compared to other Asian leagues?

The league here is bigger than in Bahrain. There it’s a smaller country. Here in India, everything is better arranged. Every game is perfect from when we go to the game to when the game starts and everything around it. It’s at a very high level and it is definitely better than in Bahrain.

What were your expectations while coming to India?

Of course, I was curious. I have some good friends who played here. I spoke with them a lot and they told me to come. I came here and now I see it for myself. Yes, it met my expectations. This is even better than what I expected.

What are your views on the unpredictability of the league?

Yes, in this league, any team can beat any team. That’s a good thing because that’s always exciting. You can never let your guard down. You can never think that we played the last game well, hence we will win this easy. But no, it’s never like that. So, it’s a good thing that in every game you have to give your 100%, otherwise, you will lose the game.

How much of a difference will John Gregory’s presence in the dugout be for the team?

Yes, it’s a good thing that he’s back. We did our best when he was not with us (serving the touchline suspension). I think the assistant coach filled his place well. But it’s good that he’s back. He can speak with us during the game and in the half-time, which he couldn’t do in the last few games. So, yes, we are happy he’s back.

What is the competition in the squad like amongst the foreign players?

We are eight players and only five players can play in the squad, so always three players have to be there on the bench. Hence, everybody just gives their all and everybody wants to play. So, yes, there is a little bit of competition, but the main point is winning games. We are one team, so if another player plays or another player scores, it’s always the team that wins.

What kind of a match are you expecting against ATK?

I am expecting a good match. They will be fighting and wanting the three points, but we want it more. It will surely be a good match and hopefully, we come out as the winners.

What has been the best memory of your stay in India so far?

It would be the fans. Definitely the fans. From the moment I came here, they welcomed me and the other players. They always support the team and every day I get lots of messages on Facebook and Instagram and I really appreciate that.

Have you by any chance learnt any Tamil or Hindi?

I know a few words, but I am still working on it (laughs).