ATK Mohun Bagan: "I personally relish competition for my spot," says Bagan custodian Amrinder

After recovering from their topsy turvy start, Indian Super League outfit ATK Mohun Bagan has been unbeaten under their new head coach Juan Ferrando. They are also playing a totally different brand of football where a lot of importance has been given to maintaining the possession and playing out from the back.

Indian national team custodian Amrinder Singh made headlines when he joined ATK Mohun Bagan last summer. The 28-year-old shot-stopper won the ISL double with Mumbai City FC before joining the Kolkata giants.

In an exclusive interview with The Bridge, the custodian spoke in-depth about the move to, recovery, competition and many more.

Amrinder speaks

After winning both the league and playoffs with Mumbai City FC, Amrinder Singh moved for his next destination, ATK Mohun Bagan at the start of this season. While discussing what initiated his move to ATK Mohun Bagan, Amrinder explained, "ATK Mohun Bagan is a club that has always strived for success. Both ATK and Mohun Bagan were always looking to fight for the top honours even before the merger. Their project attracted me a lot and it has always been a dream to represent a club with so much legacy and culture."

On the transition

The custodian didn't have a very smooth start in his new club. When asked about his transition to the new club he said, "It hasn't been easy. As nothing in football is supposed to be. Now with Juan as our coach, we are playing a different style of football. I am learning and getting better with every game and can't wait to see what awaits us next as we keep developing and evolving as a team."

On conceding from set-pieces

Quizzed about the probable reason behind a lot of goals being conceded by the teams from set-pieces Amrinder believes their is "no particular reason". He said, "All the goalkeepers, including me, need to improve ourselves and do more hard work off the field and also have better coordination with the team. In that way, we can defend set-pieces better.

On the recovery routine

Resisting and overcoming injury is a crucial part for any player, discussing about it the Bagan shot-stopper shared insights to his recovery routine. Amrinder said, "Injuries are a constant challenge for athletes and recovering well from them is essential for sustaining good performance. In this aspect, Hyperice's innovative tools have been a huge support for me and have helped me recover faster and do what I love, more.

"Products such as the Hypervolt & Normatec Recovery Boots have become a critical part of my physical fitness and recovery routine. They help me cope with any kind of injuries and let me get back to my best in a very short span of time. Using the boots after matchdays boost my circulation, reduce pain and soreness, and works like a personal massage therapist" he added.

On the tough competition for the goalkeeper spot in the national team

With Dheeraj, Vishal, Nawaz doing well, the competition for the goalkeeper position in the Indian national has been great. While quizzed about this the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper quipped, "Competition for spots is always fantastic, We all saw the class that Dheeraj showed in the AFC Champions League and how Vishal and Nawaz have been consistent in the league."

"It is always great news for Indian Football if there is competition for places in the XI and something that I personally relish" the custodian added.

On their toughest opponent in the league

This season's Indian Super League has been competitive. Till now no team has been termed as the clear favourites and the league table is very close. When asked about the toughest team, the Mariners faced season, the Indian international answered

"Mumbai City were the toughest team we faced so far. It was a bad day in the office for us and they did well in all departments. It is the nature of a league like this where anyone can win to anyone. For a club like ATK Mohun Bagan, we always strive for the highest prize. We are getting better with every passing game and there's a lot more left to come from us."