FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh is convinced that his team will recover from the tough defeat against Kerala Blasters FC when they face a strong opponent in ATK Mohun Bagan in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Sunday.

He believes the team has improved in a lot of areas this season and that they can achieve a lot if they keep the momentum going.

The goalkeeper backed his defence to come good against the Mariners and also mentioned about having a good feeling going into the game on Sunday while speaking in the official pre-match press conference.

Here are the excerpts:

How difficult was it for FC Goa to concede three goals for the first time this season in the last game?

It is a part of the game. We did not plan to get the result, but it happens in football—sometimes you lose, and in the previous games we have won 3-0 and last week we lost 3-1.

We had some problems in different areas and now have time to improve our errors, so we are trying our best to come back from the last defeat. Hopefully we can recover from the mistakes that happened in the last game.

How different is this team compared to the previous teams that you have been a part of?

We have improved a lot in different areas, both technically and tactically. Most importantly, tactically. In the last season, if we look into it, we lost the first few games and ended up giving points to the opposition. This time, we have won three games out of five, which is a positive start. I have a good feeling that we can achieve things this season and keep the momentum going.

FC Goa have never kept a clean sheet against ATK Mohun Bagan, they are a team that loves to attack. How do you prepare yourself to face ATK Mohun Bagan?

We always knew that our opponent, ATK Mohun Bagan, was a strong team. I have no doubt about our defensive line, in the last few games, we had injuries that made us suffer at the back. Most of the players are back now. I have a strong feeling that we will recover the points from the last game.

You came from ATK Mohun Bagan in January one and a half seasons ago. How has your career transformation been since joining FC Goa?

This is all part of football and life, where at certain times you have to move and shift places for your own convenience. I had very less playing time in ATK Mohun Bagan, it is a part of the learning process.

I am still very young, and sometimes we learn a lot from these kinds of situations when I have to stay patient and wait for my opportunity while working hard.

You have been flourishing and are at the top of the stat charts for goalkeepers. What is the reason for your transformation?

My first goal was to recover well from the injury. I do believe we have a good relationship between our goalkeepers. We compete very well as friends, and they never let me settle down while I was away from the game.

That helped me gain confidence and stay in the game. The competition within the team really kept me going.