Kerala Blasters FC have not had the best of starts to Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 with just three points from four games. The Blasters are yet to register their first win of the season but local boy, Rino Anto thinks fan support can help turn things around for them when they take on NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday. Speaking to indiansuperleague.com, the right back talks about his journey as a footballer, the Kerala Blasters fans and more.

How good is it to play for Kerala Blasters?

It is a great feeling to play for Kerala Blasters, because they have some of the best supporters in the country. It is a club with a huge fan base, and that feels great.

Did you get amazed seeing the fan following for Kerala Blasters, because it’s a different feeling altogether?

Yes, always. The last year as well, I played for Kerala Blasters. I was telling my manager too, that this year if I am picked, I would like to go to Kerala Blasters.

Was football always your calling as a young boy?

At that time, Kerala Blasters was not there, so the first priority was always to play for India. I actually played for the state of Kerala too, but we lost against Services on penalties. This season, we (Kerala Blasters) haven’t won yet. Maybe in tomorrow’s game against NorthEast United FC, we will win.

Where did the passion for football start from?

It started from my eight-grade, where some incident happened between my teacher and I in school. I was playing, and I hit her. That was the scenario that changed my entire career, because at that time, my dad did not allow me to play at a professional level. After that incident, he allowed me to go for coaching camps, and suddenly I got selected for the Kerala U-16 side, and then I got selected for Tata Football Academy. I was there for four years, after which I went to Mohun Bagan, then Salgaocar, then Bengaluru FC, and now in Kerala Blasters.

Do you have any message for the Kerala Blasters fans ahead of the match?

Our situation is not so good right now, but we are trying our best, and you need to support us the way you have been doing for so long. We will do our best in the next match.