Former Odisha FC captain and midfielder Vinit Rai joined defending champions Mumbai City FC on loan for the rest of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 campaign during the mid-season transfer window. Rai reasoned this switch to push himself to greater heights and to help him advance his career with an outlook for the future.

While playing for Odisha FC this season, the midfielder made eight appearances and had a staggering passing accuracy of 86.61%. The switch to the Islanders was a decisive move to ‘challenge’ himself.

“Nothing went wrong [at Odisha FC]. It’s just that I am someone who loves challenging myself. I know the level of competition is higher at Mumbai,” said Rai while talking to Sportstar.

So far, the Islanders have used Rai as a substitute and have made him start only once. However, under Des Buckingham, he finds himself in a comfortable position where the style of football continues to match his former club.

“It has been comfortable, mainly because I’ve come from a team like Odisha where we were playing possession-based football as well. But for me, it’s still a new team under a new coach and in a new system. So you need to adapt,” he said.

While acclimatising to a new set-up, Rai is confident that this move will bolster the pillars of his future and would show results come to time.

“I wanted to face this kind of a challenge in my career because that’s going to help me get better. It’s different and it’s demanding,” added Rai.

Mumbai City FC will now face Odisha FC next at PJN Stadium in Marago, Goa on February 13 where Rai’s past ties might come in handy to strategise the winning formula.

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Mumbai City FC Vinit Rai2021-2022