Becoming a footballer is often a testing journey, but it is this very struggle that unearths hidden gems. One example of this is winger Seityasen Singh, who is playing for Delhi Dynamos FC this season having previously played for NorthEast United FC. Ahead of Delhi’s home match against his former club at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday, the pacey winger spoke exclusively to indiansuperleague.com about an array of topics. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

Could you please tell us a bit about where you come from, and what your football journey has been like so far?

I have liked football a lot since my childhood, and I have struggled a lot. I want to say that just playing football is not simple; you have to do a lot of hard work apart from just playing too. So, we have to struggle a lot to keep on playing football.

You started playing football in school, so how was it for you, and how did you progress from there?

Yes, I started playing football in school when I was a kid. After that, I joined Army Boys Academy in Shillong, and that’s where I started my career. After that, I represented the state of Meghalaya, then I moved on to Royal Wahingdoh in the I-League second division, then the national team, and now the Hero ISL.

Have you faced any barriers in this journey of yours?

Yes indeed, it is difficult. We must put in a lot of hard work to reach this stage, and struggle a lot. There are a lot of injuries, so it is difficult, but we have to cope with it if we want to play at this level.

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

The biggest turning point for me would have to be when I was playing for Royal Wahingdoh in the Second Division for three seasons, and then we qualified for the I-League in 2015. That’s when I scored a hat-trick against Salgaocar, and then I got called up for the national team, soon after which I was drafted in the ISL. But the best and most surprising moment for me would be to get called up for the national team during the World Cup Qualifiers.

What is your idea of taking some time off?

I watch a lot of movies to relax whenever I get some free time. Sometimes I sit in the swimming pool to recover, but I love to watch movies, go shopping, listen to music or watch some TV. Simple life.

According to you what is the biggest advantage of playing besides experienced players and world class coaches in the Hero ISL?

Our coach, Miguel Angel Portugal has a simple football style, but he uses a lot of wide players like wingers and full-backs. So, for me, it is an advantage, because it pushes me to perform better, and to attack strongly. I really like his style of play, especially for a player playing in my position, and I am really happy with him.

You guys are playing NorthEast United FC, your former club on Saturday, so what are your thoughts on that match?

I hope the match between NorthEast United FC and us is a good one, because both the sides don’t have many points on the board. So, I expect it to be a tight match. We have prepared well, and I am sure they must have done the same, so I hope everyone enjoys the match.

What is the game plan going to be against NorthEast United FC?

The plan is to grab all three points. We are playing at home, and we need the support from the Delhi Dynamos fans.