FC Goa bolstered their defence with the addition of James Donachie on a one-year loan deal, and the defender shared his excitement at the prospect of playing for the Gaurs. While speaking to FC Goa’s official website, the defender made it clear that he is looking forward to linking up with his new teammates and competing in the Hero ISL and the AFC Champions League.

“I am really delighted on the move and can’t wait to get to India and start working with the team. It didn’t really take much time to convince me to come over. This is a team that is looking to challenge for the title and also compete in the AFC Champions League, so that was extremely assuring,” the 27-year old shared.

Donachie often played an attacking brand of football with his former clubs and the Australian believes that the style of football he’s used to playing will help him adapt to FC Goa’s philosophy in no time. “Every player in the world if given the chance would like to play an attacking brand of football and it’s the same with me. Even at Melbourne (Victory), the philosophy was the same and I feel this will be a smooth transition,” he said.

The defender then pointed at the influx of quality players in the Hero ISL as a sign that the league is constantly progressing, he said, “The league is really growing by leaps and bounds. I had conversations with Erik (Paartalu) and David (Williams). They were full of praise for the league and the country. So that helped make my mind up as well. Players like Steve Taylor coming into the league really shows how well the ISL is progressing.”

Having qualified for the AFC Champions League by virtue of topping the 2019-20 Hero ISL league standings, the Gaurs are set to play a lot of games in the upcoming season and Donachie adds depth as well as experience to the side. The Aussie is a seasoned Champions League campaigner and has played in five editions of the continental competition.

While sharing his thoughts on Goa’s AFC Champions League participation, he said, “It won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but I am not fazed by that. The recent pandemic has caused a lot of havoc in many countries and the equations are no longer the same. We will cross that bridge when we get there. Australian teams have had a tough time in the competition of late due to our limited squad size. In India, the squad size is bigger, and we are going to give it a good crack.”