NorthEast United FC lock horns with Delhi Dynamos FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Saturday. With just one point from the opening two fixtures, the Highlanders will look to get their season back on track after they were beaten by Chennaiyin FC last time around. NorthEast’s midfield workhorse Rowllin Borges sat down with indiansuperleague.com for an exclusive chat ahead of the clash against the Dynamos. Here are the excerpts.

How did you get into the world of football?

I started playing football at the age of 14 in Goa for a club called Fransa football club. Then I played for my school team and I continued playing.

Did you play any other sport growing up?

No. I only played football.

Were there any barriers or difficulties you had to face along the way?

Sometimes my mom didn’t allow me to play football as I had to study. But I didn’t want to leave it, so I continued playing.

Your favourite international club and player and the reason you like them.

Team would be Real Madrid and player, Toni Kroos. I like the team a lot and I watch all their games.

What do you do in the off-season?

I go out with my friends. I chill with friends on the beach in Goa.

What is the one moment in your career that you cherish till date?

The one moment would be winning the SAFF cup with the national team. I’ll never forget that moment.

You are also a part of the impressive unbeaten run with the Indian football team. Can you share the mindset of the team?

The mindset of the team was simple. Every match that we were going to play we had decided that we were going to give it our all on that day and that is how we got the results.

How do you think ISL has revolutionized football in India?

ISL has done a lot of good work for Indian football. As you can see, there are so many young players playing with good quality foreigners. I think the level of Indian football is improving.

Last year, amongst the domestic players you had the best passing percentage with 81% and the best passing average of 50 passes per game. What part of your game are you trying to improve this year?

I think for me, I need to be more aggressive and every day in training I’m trying to improve on that. Hopefully, I improve every day.

After the disappointing outing against Chennai, what are your thoughts about facing Delhi and what is your gameplan going to be?

Our gameplan is simple. We try to do what we’re good at.