I adore Rafael Lopez a lot, says Gurtej Singh

The FC Pune City defender seems to have grabbed the opportunity with both hands with some breathtaking performances in ISL 4. “It was an amazing feeling. FCPC picking me in the ISL draft has been the best moment of my footballing career thus far,” Gurtej expressed his euphoria. 

Just the mere presence of manager Ranko Popovic during our interaction was enough to give him a few jitters. But, the towering central defender appears to be enjoying his time on the field under the Serbian. 

“The coach has been reaping faith on me since the beginning of the season. He has given me a lot of starts and I am trying to improve my game with every passing fixture,” he added. 

When queried if he will punch for a place in the Indian team despite nearing the age of 30, he said, “I am only 28 (laughs). There is still a lot left in me. At present, I am not thinking about getting called up by the national team. Things will automatically fall into place if I keep performing well during my domestic season.” 

Commenting on his personal milestones for the current edition of ISL, the Punjab-based lad said, “This is just my first season (in the ISL). I am thrusting a lot on maintaining my consistency till the end. We are bound to have a few off days here and there but my focus is to grow with every opportunity I am presented with.” 

When asked about the kind of role his father played in moulding him into a footballer, the centre-back remarked, “He is a great football fanatic and he was the one who introduced me to the sport. He is extremely proud that I am part of such a highly reputed league now. He keeps motivating me to give my cent percent on the pitch irrespective of the situation.” 

The 28-year-old, who has been a vital cog in the heart of the defence for FCPC, finds himself rubbing shoulders with experienced campaigner Rafael Lopez. “He is one player from our team who I adore the most and would like to play with. 

Whenever I play alongside him, I just make sure I follow his instructions,” he revealed his admiration for the former Getafe FC skipper. Despite possessing players from various nationalities, Gurtej believes it is the brotherhood among the players which has spurred the team forward. 

“It was a bit difficult to gel with my fellow mates during our pre-season. But once we started to play together day in and day out, we became like a band of brothers. Every member has contributed in the growth of the side as a whole,” concluded Gurtej.