Kerala Blasters FC's young and wiry defender Sandesh Jhingan has been earning plaudits for his mature and versatile displays in the Hero Indian Super League. He has played as left back, right back and central defender for his side which went all the way to the final only to lose to Atletico de Kolkata in heartbreaking circumstances at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday night. The 21-year-old Chandigarh-born player's disappointment in not wearing a winner's medal round his neck was compensated by him being named the ISL Emerging Player of the tournament for his stupendous efforts all through the tournament.Talking to indiansuperleague.com after the match, Jhingan seemed to have taken the defeat in his stride as he said, "From the first day nobody expected us to make it here. Till now it’s been an amazing experience with ups and downs. We lost the first few games, but we came back and showed a lot of character. We came here and played our hearts out, but it's football, so it happens, no problem. But with God’s grace, we’ll get much better." The former United Sikkim and Mumbai FC alumnus has become one of the most popular players from the Blasters team and when he was asked how he felt to be so loved by the fans, Jhingan replied, "It’s a great feeling from the first day till now. Fans across Kerala and India have loved me. It’s a great team, they give me the motivation to keep working hard, so I’ll keep improving, and next time I’ll be a much better player."For Jhingan, like so many other talented Indian players, the ISL has been a terrific experience as they have got an opportunity of playing alongside some of the best players in the world. "First of all, you have to pinch yourself and tell yourself that it’s really happening. It’s been great for me, I couldn’t have asked for anything better," mused Jhingan. "And the players in our team have given us great inspiration. Hopefully, next year, well get better and we’ll have many more young talented Indian players," he added.
