The Tata Football Academy has been active in sculpting young talent into the future of football ever since its inception. It has produced some of the best players in the nation so far and young defender Sandip Mandi is another product for the future of Indian football hailing from the academy.

Young defender Sandip Mandi shares his experience of rising through the ranks, expectations from the upcoming season and much more in an exclusive interview with Khel Now.

“At TFA (Tata Football Academy), seeing senior players like Tiri and Memo train motivated me to push harder and get into the first team.”, said Sandip on what motivated him to make his breakthrough to the first team.

Mandi who made his Hero ISL debut at a very young age shared about his debut experience,“ Making my debut in front of the home fans at the age of 17 was nerve-wracking for me. I made some mistakes in the game as well, but I got the support from my senior players and coaches to keep going.”

Sandip Mandi made his debut in the Hero ISL in the 2019–20 season for Jamshedpur FC under former Gaffer, Owen Coyle and has been a young driving force in the club’s squads ever since.

When asked about his preferred playing position on the pitch, Sandip opined, “The coach can play me wherever he feels is right for me. I can change myself according to the coach’s plans and play in any position. Speaking honestly, I like to play as a centre-back more because of the added responsibility there. Also, I get the ball more while playing in that position.

Sandip Mandi who recently captained the Jamshedpur side in the latest edition of the Durand Cup will now join the senior team in their pre-season preparations for the 2022-23 season of the Hero ISL.

“With the team, I want to get into the play-offs again and win the Shield. On an individual level, I would look to get more playing time and contribute to the team more than last season,” quoted young Sandip on his personal goals and his main aim with the Men of Steel in the upcoming season, before signing off.

Read the full interview at Khel Now.