This is your first season for Mohun Bagan, we have been hearing news of your joining our team for the last 3 years.
Micky: Yes, for the last 3 years I have been trying to come to Mohun Bagan, but due to contract problem it got delayed. This year, Sporting Clube de Goa released me after getting transfer fee from Mohun Bagan club. Tell us something about your football career so far. Micky: I joined Sesa Football Academy in 1999, I was there till 2002. Who was the coach? Micky: Viswas Gaonkar, who was coach of Sporting de Goa last year for few months in I league. Any major tournaments you played while in Sessa? Micky: We played many tournaments in Goa, we won U-16, U-17, U-19 leagues and even in Goa league we were promoted from 3rd division to 2nd division. Right now, Sessa is playing Professional League. Which team did you join after leaving academy? Micky: I joined Salgaokar in 2002 and stayed there till 2006, last two years I was in Sporting de Goa. What are the main reasons for your coming to Mohun Bagan? Micky: Mohun Bagan, Debasish Dutta and coach Karim Bencharifa. I always had a wish of playing in Mohun Bagan, the National Club of India. Mr. Debasish Dutta had been trying a lot to get me to play for Mohun Bagan. Karim Bencharifa is one of the best coach I have ever seen and I wanted to play under him. Did you won any major tourmanents while in Salgaokar? Micky: Yeah, of course, we won the Durand Cup, finished runners up in National league, won Goa league 3 times. I became captain of Salgaokar in 2006. All these years you played in which position? Micky: I started as right back in 2002. After that I have played in midfield either as defensive or attacking medio but mostly I have played as holding midfielder. Which strategy you are more comfortable with? Micky: Actually I have played in 4-4-2 and also 3-5-2, but may be I am a little more comfortable with 4-4-2, but this depends on coach. I can play in whichever combination coach selects. In 4-4-2, there are two central medios, sometimes coach told us that both of us can go up and down simultaneously, i.e. we had to play from box to box. Other times, coach asked one of us to stay behind and the other one to assist in attack. This all depends on coach, I am comfortable with both plan. Who were your central medio partner while in Salgaokar and Sporting de Goa? Micky: There were many like Climax, Jatin, Bibiano. Which is your memorable goal in your career? Micky: Last year I scored a goal against Mohammedan Sporting in Goa which was adjudged best goal of I league. I have also scored two good goals against East Bengal, one was via indirect free kick and the other one via head. Other than this, I have scored few goals from free kick also. Who are the players of this year's team whom you have played with earlier? Micky: I have played with Tomba, Marcos and Sangram. How did you feel when in first day press conference, you got honor representing the outstation players who have joined club this year? Micky: Definitely it was a proud moment for me. The officials introduced me to press that day. How was the experience in Mohun Bagan Day? Micky: Believe me, I have never seen such a thing in my life. It was such a nice occasion where all members of club come and interact with each other, there are matches held and even one ex-player is assigned Mohun Bagan Ratna. I really enjoyed that day seeing so many people in ground. Have you started feeling pressure of Kolkata football? Micky: Not yet, as the tournament starts, may be I will feel the pulse. I know that I have to perform here to be successful . Failure will not at all be accepted. How do you feel the relationship between players in Mohun Bagan? Micky: Extremely good. All the players are very supportive towards each other and give good advice. Barreto unfortunately is injured but he always inspires us a lot. Not only players, the officials are also very good. What do you feel is the difference of atmosphere in Kolkata and Goa? Micky: There is a big difference. Infrastructure wise, in Goa all the teams do not have their own club ground. The players come to ground, do their practice and go back to home. Here it is completely different. Mohun Bagan has its own ground, own dressing room, players can relax after practice in club itself. In Goa, there are not many people who come to see the matches compared to Kolkata. Here in practice match also, so many people come to see the match. This helps and motivates a player to perform well. Of course, pressure is much more in Kolkata. In Goa, if we lose a match, no such pressure from crowd. But here I know a bad result will not be taken nicely by the supporters, but that is quite okay from their point of view. They are coming to support the team and expects us to perform well in all matches, but yes it is also true that it's not possible for a team to win all matches. Here there are lot of media, in Goa hardly any media comes to practice session, though I myself is not very comfortable in interacting with press people. We have heard that you have done C license coaching course last year. Why you did it so early? Do you have plans for retirement soon? Micky: No I want to play for 5-6 years now, I am only 26 now. Actually I got the opportunity and so did C licence coaching. Next I will do B and A, but I do not think that will be possible while I am playing, I will have to do it after I finish my football. But yes, I have decided that I will definitely try my hand into coaching. Who is your favorite coach? Micky: Jose Mourinho. Who are your favorite coaches in India? Micky: Armando Colaco, Savio Medeira, Karim Bencharifa. Have you played in artificial turf? Micky: Yes in Goa I have played, I practiced with India team in Chowgule ground. Do you feel it is good for players to play in this turf? Micky: No, definitely not. Injury problem will be always there, ball moves faster. Team needs lot of practice to adjust to astroturf. I remember once Mahesh Gawli got injured while playing in astroturf. When did you first play for India team? Micky: It was AFC qualifier match vs Yemen. After that, I went to Canada tour with India team and also to Saudi Arabia. Are you feeling home sick now? Micky: Not much. This is the first time I am playing in a team away from Goa. I am a professional footballer, I will have to adjust to all circumstances. How many siblings do you have? Micky: I have one brother. Which is your favorite food? Micky: I like fish, prawn, king fish, pomfret etc. Who is your ideal player? Micky: Patrick Viera and I M Vijayan. I think Vijayan was a very talented player and he could have got much more recognition than what he recieved, but may be he was not that smart and could not project himself nicely. Out of the young players in Mohun Bagan, which player you think is most promising? Micky: Santa Kumar is very good, Saha in left back position is also very promising. What do you do in your past time? Micky: Net surfing, watching movies, listening to songs. Your favorite actor? Micky: John Abraham and Bipasha Basu. Which music you like to listen to most? Micky: Backstreet boys. I also like Sukhvinder Singh a lot. Which team you support in EPL? Micky: Chelsea. Any message for fans? Micky: Yes I want them to come and support us in ground. This is my first season. I will try my level best and perform well and help Mohun Bagan win all trophies this year
