NorthEast United FC host Delhi Dynamos FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday. The Highlanders will be looking for a win to maintain their advantage over the chasing pack in the race for the top four.

Ahead of the match, indiansuperleague.com caught up with NorthEast's January signing Panagiotis Triadis for an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts.

Describe your footballing journey.

Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve been playing football and even my mom said my first word wasn’t dad or mom, it was 'ball'. So, I think I was destined to be a footballer. It’s my passion and I’ve always loved playing football.

What made you choose the Hero ISL?

There was a lot of interest from the people in charge. I spoke to all of them and they were very interested in signing me. It was a feeling I really enjoyed and it’s a place where I feel wanted so it was an easy choice for me to make.

How difficult is it to join a team mid-season?

For me, it was half of the year in Europe, in Greece, and then the rest of the season here. So it was a change, definitely, coming from Europe to Asia. A big change for me but everything has been great. I'm very happy and satisfied to be here and I get along well with the teammates. We spend a lot of time together, we go for coffees, we eat dinners. I think everything has been perfect so far.

On NorthEast United FC’s qualification chances.

I’m very positive. I believe it’s in our own hands. From the matches I have seen on TV and the matches that I’ve participated in, I believe we are the best team in India. We play the best football and it’s obviously in our hands. We create so many chances and if we score the chances no team will have a chance against us.

Any message for the NorthEast fans?

Oh, I’ve been blessed so far. I'm getting so much love from all of them, I get messages from them every day. It’s something great, it’s as if you were playing in Europe in one of the biggest leagues; Premier League, Bundesliga. That’s how the fans here in India are and I just want to say that I really appreciate it and I can’t wait for the next match.

Read the match preview here.