Jamshedpur FC new signing Alen Stevanovic will embark on a new journey as he makes his Hero Indian Super League (ISL) debut with the club in the upcoming 2023-24 season.

With Scott Cooper taking over the reins from Englishman Aidy Boothroyd, there will be a major overhaul in the functioning of the club on the pitch as well as off of it.

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Stevanovic being the first signing of the season is a big statement put out by Cooper, which shows his ambitions for the club. Close to a decade of experience in Asian football summed with distinct achievements with clubs and national team alike, the head coach will be aiming to extract the best out of the experienced midfielder.

The midfielder who brings multiple attributes to the game will act as the leader and one of the senior members of the team as the head coach look for more reinforcements in the squad.

“Before we conversed, I had already heard about the great and successful job he did in the past. And then we had the conversation and I immediately recognised that he is a very prepared, hard-working and ambitious manager,” Stevanovic revealed in an interview with Khel Now.

The combination of Cooper’s expertise and Stevanovic’s experience might unlock the door of a club challenging for top honours.

“That was very important for me because in most of the clubs I played, we fought to be champions and top the table. After that chat, it was easy for me to take the decision and join Jamshedpur FC. I’m very excited and can’t wait to start working with him,” he said.

The Hero ISL 2023-24 season has already witnessed the return of top quality managers who have won the league before. Furthermore, the addition of a 12th team is bound to make the league even more competitive. As such, Cooper and Co. face a daunting challenge at hand in his first-ever Hero ISL season.

The 32-year-old, however, doesn’t feel the pressure and believes in taking a slow but steady approach in their hunt for silverware.

“Challenge? We want to work hard and try and win each and every game. I believe the field is the only yardstick and we want to replicate our hard work on the pitch,” he expressed.

The Men of Steel have drifted afar from their laurels after the departure of Owen Coyle, who guided them to their first and only silverware. Under former head coach Boothroyd, the side finished tenth with 19 points in 20 games, registering five wins, four draws, and eleven losses.

“I have seen the results from last season. But that is in the past. First of all, we need to be in full availability for our coach and staff. We need to put the team first and set a common ambition,” he said.

“Starting from training, we need to work hard, be determined, push each other and support in every single session. We have to work with ambition and energy and if we do that, we will undoubtedly build a great chemistry in the dressing room and deliver top results,” he concluded.