Jamshedpur FC’s latest recruit Jackichand Singh hailed his new head coach Owen Coyle for the impact that he had on Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 finalists Chennaiyin FC last season. Speaking to goal.com, Jackichand, who joined the club on Tuesday, cited Lallianzuala Chhangte’s displays under Coyle last season as an example of the 54-year-old’s coaching style and shared his excitement about playing under the new Jamshedpur head coach.

“I am very excited to play under Owen Coyle. I don’t need to say how good a manager he is as everybody saw what he did with Chennaiyin FC last season. Last season, we (FC Goa) were at the top of the table after the league but still lost to Chennaiyin FC in the play-offs. So, he has already proved his caliber,” Jackichand explained.

“We saw how Chhangte played under Owen Coyle last season. Despite his short height, he played so well and that was mainly due to his pace which is similar to my style. So, after watching Chhangte, I am even more excited to work with the coach. His style will definitely suit me,” he added.

Apart from getting the opportunity to play under Coyle, the chance to feature alongside some of Indian football’s budding talents like Amarjit Singh and Narender Gahlot also attracted the winger to the club. “Jamshedpur FC has some really exciting talents like Amarjit Singh and Narender Gahlot. I have been playing with them in the national team and so it is great that I can reunite with them again at this club,” Jackichand said.

Even though Hero ISL 2020-21 will be held behind closed doors in Goa, Jackichand admitted that he cannot wait to play in front of the vociferous Jamshedpur crowd, “Another great thing about this club is their fans. This year, of course, I will not be able to play in front of the fans, but I have signed a three-year contract and from the next, I will play in front of them.”

Having fallen short of the play-offs in all their previous seasons, the acquisition of Jackichand means that Jamshedpur now has a player with Hero ISL final experience in the ranks. Jackichand scored five goals and assisted three others as the Gaurs qualified directly for the AFC Champions League group stage last season and the diminutive winger hopes to contribute for Jamshedpur similarly in the upcoming campaign. “Jamshedpur FC is really hungry for success and my only target is to better the performance of the team from last season and bring success to the club,” Jackichand said.