Jamshedpur FC goalkeeper Vishal Yadav stated that he is not afraid of handling pressure after being given the mantle of the first-choice custodian and is optimistic about matching the level of top goalkeepers in the league amidst the team's troubling times. His side lock horns with FC Goa in matchweek 12 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, in Jamshedpur, on Thursday. 

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Yadav made his Hero ISL debut in the game against ATK Mohun Bagan and since then has caught eyes among the fans and critics alike for his goalkeeping attributes, having made 11 saves out of the 13 shots he faced and leaking just one goal.

Head coach Aidy Boothroyd also praised the 20-year-old and stated that the shot-stopper is an example of the club's bright future. Yadav spoke about the views on the team's ongoing performance, handling the pressure in front of the goal, and a lot more as he was accompanied by Boothroyd in the pre-match conference leading to the fixture against FC Goa.

Here are the excerpts from Yadav's pre-match conference:

It's easy to perform when the team's in a good form but it's hard when things are going tough. What are your views on the team's performance?

Right now everyone is upset due to our team's performance and this period is tough. Everyone including the players, the coaches, and the coaching staff who are working behind the scenes are going through this phase but the most important thing is to stay together and support each other, to bring out the positives in front of the team and work on the minor details.

The focus has increased on the goalkeepers as the clean sheets have dried up. How do you handle such phases?

Right now I've just made my debut in Hero ISL, I've played two matches and right now the biggest role out as the senior players have to step up. Obviously, it doesn't matter if I'm a young player or I've just made my debut, when you step onto the pitch then you have to match that level. It doesn't mean if you're a young player or you've played 40-50 matches. So, I think my role will be the same as the goalkeepers from the top two-three teams, my mindset will be the same as theirs and I'll try to give a positive approach to the team as much as possible.

Vishal (Yadav) please tell us about you, your background and a few things about your family.

I'm from Uttar Pradesh and my career in football started when I was 12, since then this has been my passion and I've been following my passion since then, I'm very happy.

Which football nursery from our country are you a product of and when did you join Jamshedpur FC?

I'm a product of TFA (Tata Football Academy) and I'm from the 2014 batch and I joined Jamshedpur FC in 2020.