ATK start 2018 at home against FC Goa at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Wednesday. After a poor start to Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18, the reigning champions got back to winning ways after back-to-back victories in their previous two fixtures. The two-time winners will want to maintain their current form when hosting a formidable Goa side in the new year’s first match. ATK’s latest signing Ryan Taylor has been a major boost to the side and has marshalled their midfield effectively. Ahead of Wednesday’s encounter, indiansuperleague.com caught up with the midfielder and here are the excerpts from the interview.

Two wins in two games since you joined ATK. How does it feel?

That really sums it up, you see. It has been great. We train well, we prepare well and so far, results have been great. So hopefully we can continue and get the win tomorrow for the fans.

How does it feel to play at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium amidst all the fans?

It was nice. The weather was good which helped. It was actually a good temperature during kick-off. But the stadium in itself is fantastic. I mean if we get more fans there, it would be great. It's a big stadium and the more noise we make, the better we can lift our game and that can help us achieve the extra mile. Hopefully, tomorrow there would be a few more people and we get to win, so that next when we play at home, it gets better and better.

Did the fact that there's a number of Englishmen in the squad including head coach Teddy Sheringham, help you in settling in?

For sure it has made it a lot easier for me to settle in as it's quite English, especially on the managerial side. We all mix together, all the Indian boys as well. We spend a lot of time together. So, I would say settling in was a lot easier with the others around. From Day 1, I never felt that I was out of place. I felt that I was really welcomed and it made life so much easier.

What are your views on the level of football on display at Hero ISL and the Indian players?

The league has only been here for four seasons but you can see that there's a lot of talent in the league. I mean, if you watch the games, there are still some mistakes that happen but things are only going to get better. And the Indian boys playing with the likes of Robbie (Keane) and Teddy, our manager, means that they can just continue improving. If they listen, they can learn faster and if they want and have the will to learn and try, the league will get better. The enthusiasm here is great to see. I can only see the league growing in the future.

What do you make of FC Goa and the danger they possess?

Yeah, we are well aware of this. We know what to prepare for. On the flip side, we know we can create chances too. We just have to be a little bit more clinical with the final ball and the finish. We have to be wary because they have some good quality. So, we need to be switched on and be aware of what (damage) they can cause us. If we manage to stop them, we are sure to win the game.

Your quality from set-pieces is undeniable. Any tips for youngsters?

If someone wants to replicate what I do, you have to learn the right technique to do it and it comes from practice. I've spent hours and hours and hours and hours in the past, especially when I was younger. I learnt different techniques and it helped. All I can say is try different techniques, find what you're comfortable with and what works for you, stick with it and just keep practising. That's basically what I did. I started when I was very young. I always used to take free-kicks for the teams I played for and so that shows how long I have been practising to master it. If the kids listen and practice, they can do it too.

Aiming for a win and making it three out of three against Goa?

Of course, looking for a win and a clean sheet hopefully, against a good team. That's the plan.