Kerala Blasters FC travel to the Mumbai Football Arena in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 to take on hosts Mumbai City FC on Sunday. The return of Subhasish Roy has coincided with the arrival of head coach David James, which has also incidentally kick-started a turnaround in the Blasters’ season. Speaking to indiansuperleague.com ahead of the crucial fixture, Bose shared his thoughts on the upcoming fixture. Here are the excerpts.

You’re starting to playi recently in the starting XI for Kerala Blasters, how’s the feeling?

I’m feeling good because I’ve had to wait for a long time. It’s a good feeling to be back after my injury.

How important is it to be in the starting XI?

If you want to be in the starting XI, you have to work hard. Without hard work, nothing is possible. I think hard work can take you places.

According to you, who’s the key player for Mumbai City?

I think they’re a good team and so are we. We do not follow any particular player. But yes, they are a balanced side and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.

What will be your strategy against Mumbai?

According to the coach, we will continue to play like we have. He gives us good confidence and that is important for us as sportsmen.

What do you have to say about David James?

I’ve played against David sir in the opening season. He was always a good goalkeeper, but now I met him in person and it’s a great motivation when someone like him is there to coach you. He gives us a lot of confidence and that’s more than enough.

How different is his philosophy?

He speaks to every individual personally and the practice sessions are also very important. He does things differently. He is like a friend to us. If you can’t speak to your coach, you won’t perform well, this is not the case with us.