Jamshedpur FC announced the appointment of Owen Coyle as their new head coach for Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 on Friday. Coyle joined Chennaiyin FC midway through last season and led the team to the Hero ISL final following a run which saw the Marina Machans score 35 goals in 15 games.

Speaking at the virtual press conference organized by Jamshedpur, their new head coach expressed his delight after joining the club, Coyle said, “It’s a privilege to get appointed the head coach of a wonderful club like Jamshedpur FC. My first experience of India last year was coming to Jamshedpur and playing here. The club has the best facilities in India. I was really impressed with the facilities, the stadium and the training ground.”

Coyle hopes to reach new heights with Jamshedpur and help the Hero ISL grow globally by achieving success with his team, he said, “The league is growing every year and it's getting better and it's been known more globally. My job as a head coach is to make sure that when people speak about the Hero ISL, they speak about Jamshedpur. We do that when we put a successful team on the pitch.”

Even though Jamshedpur have fallen short of the playoffs in the last three seasons, the 54-year-old head coach has set his sights high and is aiming to conquer the league with his young squad. “I'm excited at the opportunity to work with young players and developing them. Not only do we want to get to the playoffs, but fighting to be champions, because that is what will be expected from the club. I'm really excited for the season to get underway. My experience of Indian football in the Hero ISL was a fantastic one last year. I want it to get better and we can do that at Jamshedpur,” Coyle said.

He also had words of encouragement for Jamshedpur’s youngsters, particularly Narender Gahlot and Amarjit Singh. “There is a lot of talent in the squad. I know because I played against them twice last season and a number of players caught my eye. Narender Gahlot is an exciting young talent. Obviously, there is Amarjit. There is no doubt that he can be a hugely talented player,” Coyle enthused.

“I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to try to help and improve them because they need to prove themselves individually and collectively. Our strength will be as a group. We have to make sure that we're all in this together. That’s what makes football such a special game,” he added.