Credit: Eugenesonlyngdoh at Instagram

Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh looks to move on from past injuries in the upcoming edition of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) with new-entrants SC East Bengal. Lyngdoh made his Hero ISL debut back in 2015, but a spate of injuries kept him on the sidelines for a majority of his time in the league and prevented him from realising his full potential.

As the new season comes closer, kicking off on November 20 in Goa, Lyngdoh is ready to move ahead and script a new chapter in SC East Bengal colours. “I know I've lost a couple of years due to that injury, but now I am fit and ready to go out there. Now I have to maintain my fitness levels and be up for selection so that I can play,” he told AIFF TV.

The 34-year-old went on to say that although injuries are difficult for any player to deal with, mental strength can go a long way in overcoming them. “Injury is the last thing that any player thinks of at any given point of time in his career. But when you get a bad injury, you require a lot of mental strength to keep going,” he said.

"It's a part of the game, and I have learnt to accept that we can’t play football [without injuries]. It’s something that everyone has to take into consideration.

“Injury is the most difficult thing in football. It plays with your mind, so it's important to stay strong psychologically. It's not easy when you see that your team-mates are fit and up and running, while you are still injured or recovering. But in the end, what really defines you is how you get back from the injury,” he added.

Lyngdoh and SC East Bengal kick off their campaign against ATK Mohun Bagan FC on November 27 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco -- in what will be the first Kolkata derby in the history of Hero ISL.