Mumbai City FC have made a decent start to the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) campaign coming away unbeaten from their first three games which have included clashes against defending champions Hyderabad FC and defending league winners Jamshedpur FC.

While the attack is yet to click in full gear, the Islanders have improved defensively after the 3-3 draw against Hyderabad FC in their opening game.

Key to their renewed defensive solidity has been Mehtab Singh who has started Mumbai’s both home games so far ahead of captain Mourtada Fall and delivered handsomely.

Mehtab was awarded the Hero of the Match in both those encounters for his composed defending that has seen his team concede just one goal in the two games that he has played.

He has dealt with the threat of the opponent in an extremely composed manner and has been excellent with the ball at his feet. As it stands, no other Indian player in the Hero ISL has completed more successful passes than Mehtab Singh who has a pass accuracy of 87.5%.

Mumbai City FC have made a decent start to the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) campaign coming away unbeaten from their first three games which have included clashes against defending champions Hyderabad FC and defending league winners Jamshedpur FC.

Mehtab spoke to indiansuperleague.com after the match against Jamshedpur FC and talked about his good start to the season, the bonding in the team and his goals for the rest of the season.

Here are the excerpts:

You won Hero of the Match in the last two matches. In those two matches, you faced two different kinds of challenges the quick forwards of Odisha FC and the physical strikers of Jamshedpur FC. How different was coping with these two different kinds of threats?

We follow our own style of football that the coach has inculcated in us. We try to focus on ourselves and try to play our football whoever the opponent is.

We knew Jamshedpur FC strikers were strong but we knew how to deal with that. We were disappointed with the way we conceded the first goal but we improved after that and dealt with their physicality well and that gives us confidence.

The head coach has put a lot of faith in you. He is starting you consistently when someone like Mourtada Fall is on the bench. How much confidence does it give you?

The fact that the coach trusts you give you a lot of confidence. I have received great support from the team and we are always helping each other so that makes you feel very good.

How has the partnership with Rostyn Griffiths developed and what aspect of his game appeals to you the most?

Every time I play with him whether, in training or in the match, I get to learn a lot of things from him. He is a very experienced player and I have a lot to learn from him.

You seem very confident on the ball and that's an important attribute in today's football where so many teams try and press you high up the field. How much have you worked on this aspect of your game?

Our style of football is to build up from the back and I think we do it quite well. We have worked a lot on that on the training field because the coach loves to play that way.

You face Kerala Blasters FC in the next match. It's a hostile place for away teams with the crowd and they are a very attacking team. For a defender how do you cope with the pressure they put on you?

I think it's very important to play our game. We try to do that whether we play at home or away. Our focus will be on improving the mistakes we made in the last match and trying to be better against Kerala Blasters FC.

You have made a really strong start to the Hero ISL season. Do you believe you have a chance to play for the Indian national team in the near future?

It is very difficult to say if I will get a chance (to play with the national team) but it has always been my dream to play for India. I come from a village in Punjab where anyone who plays sport does it so that they can play for the country one day. So I want to do the same.