Vice-captain Calderon feels at home at Chennaiyin

Along his enriching journey as a professional footballer, Calderon has also worn the hat of a devoted disciple and has the canny knack of absorbing things like a sponge. It is instructive to hear him use the word ‘passion’ a myriad times through the course of our conversation and that, in essence, captures the way he goes about plying his trade as a footballer. 

“For me football is all about playing with passion and wearing emotions on your sleeve. It wasn’t a tough choice to come to India when coach John Gregory approached me. Having played in England, I’m well aware of the style of functioning of the English managers. John and I share the same love and passion for our sport, and I’m hopeful that this season the club will do a lot better after not performing well last year,” said the 35-year-old right back.

Asked if his lack of prior knowledge of Indian football and the prevailing conditions would in any way be a handicap, Calderon again turns to the student-teacher simile of keeping his eyes peeled for imbibing anything new on the playing field. “One has to learn to adapt quickly and that’s where years of experience come in handy. I have played in different leagues and each country has its own distinct style of playing. Having players such as Henrique Sereno and Jaime Gavilan, who have already played in the ISL, is of great help. As a player the challenge lies in stepping out of your comfort zone,” added the Spaniard. 

Emphasising on his key attribute of versatility, the Chennaiyin vice-captain says he is open to playing in any position. 

“I’m happy as long as I’m out there on the pitch. In the first match against FC Goa, I played in the midfield, but was reverted to my usual position as a defender in the second game. I haven’t got any preferences and would love to contribute wherever I play,” said the genial Calderon.

The only time a frown appears on his countenance, and it disappears just as quickly, is when you rub in his country’s galling 2-5 defeat to England in the U-17 World Cup final last month. “Yeah, it was disappointing, but England has invested a lot of money in its youth academies and they have reaped the rewards for that,” added the erudite Calderon, who hates settling for a consolation prize.