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English defender Peter Hartley is excited to make his debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the upcoming 2020-21 season with Jamshedpur FC.
The former Sunderland player was all praises for his new teammates as well as the coach Owen Coyle as he suggested that he is really looking forward to joining the team.
“Nerijus Valskis’ record speaks for itself,” the English defender told Goal. "He won the Golden Boot last season. Then there is Alex Lima. I don’t know him personally but our manager speaks very highly of him. Obviously (Stephen) Eze, my centre-half partner, he comes with a good pedigree. He is an international footballer.
“We also have really fantastic Indian boys. I am really looking forward to meeting the whole team and training really hard. We got to be together and help each other in difficult situations. Also working with a manager like Owen Coyle, he is very positive. He has ambition. I am really looking forward to working together as a team. It is going to be a really exciting season.”
Hartley mentioned that he is already in touch with central defence partner and Nigerian defender Stephen Eze. He also explained why he believes that their partnership at the heart of the Jamshedpur FC defence would do well this season.
“It is something I have done all my career with regards to reaching out to players. I also contacted the other players before Stephen’s signing. So when he was announced, I reached out directly and sent a message to welcome him.
“I told him that I am really looking forward to playing with him and partnering him in defence. I am really excited to play with him because he is very tall and physical and my attributes are communication. I am very good at being proactive and anticipating where danger will be. I really think together as a partnership we could complement each other,” said the central defender.
The former Motherwell FC skipper suggested that playing in a shorter league like ISL is extremely challenging as there are no margins for errors and he is looking forward to it.
“My impression of the league is that it is very challenging. In England or Scotland, there are 50, 60 games and can have spells where you may lose two or three games in a row and you can always make up for those points further down the line.
"I like the challenge of ISL where it is such a tight league and where every game is like a cup final. You need the points to be among the top four teams and then in the final. You need to fight for your life in every single game for the wins.
“You need to be organised, you need to be adaptable to different types of teams. There are also so many different players from so many countries and also the young Indian players. I am looking forward to working with the young Indian talent and help them grow,” said the Englishman.
Most footballers and coaches in the ISL have stated in the past that playing football amidst the pandemic in an empty stadium often affects the players’ mentality on the pitch.
Hartley reiterated a similar sentiment and suggested that the players need to prepare themselves well to overcome the challenges and have to remain focused on their goal.
“Of course, it is definitely going to affect the players mentally because there are moments in games when you might be losing 1-0 with 10 minutes to go and you are at home with your fans pushing you to get an equaliser and to go ahead and win the game,” said the Jamshedpur footballer.
“It can draw that little bit of excitement and adrenalin from you as a player but that is where we have got to come in as individuals. That is same for every single team. We just have to make sure that we are fully prepared before going into games. We know that there will be a lot of fans watching us in India and across the world. Hopefully, we can make the Jamshedpur FC fans proud.
“It will be a difficult challenge, not playing with fans, something I have never experienced. But ultimately there is an end goal which is to get into the play-offs and be successful. That is the only thing in my mind now.”
Indian goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh had travelled to Scotland back in 2018 after he had got a trial stint with Motherwell FC. He had trained with the club for two and a half months and had an opportunity to be a part of their first-team training.
Hartley recollected his meeting with the young Indian goalkeeper and suggested that he was extremely impressed by Singh’s dedication and quality.
“Yes, I had managed to meet him (Dheeraj Singh). I sat with him at the club canteen. We didn’t speak much about Indian football. He came over just once I believe. I remember seeing him a couple of times in training. He is a really nice boy and a good goalkeeper.
“I don’t know the situation why he didn’t stay. He was really enthusiastic, he worked really hard in training and he was very dedicated. He looked like he had a bright future. Ultimately it’s the manager’s decision and I don’t know the situation why he left the club,” said Hartley.
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