Young gun Siddharth Singh spoke to the media before the team left for Kolkata to continue pre-season preparations. Here’s what transpired in the conversation:

1. On getting picked in the ISL draft…
   This will be the first time I play in the ISL! Jamshedpur FC was one of the teams I was preferring and I was lucky to get picked there.
2. On his educational background…
   I completed my schooling in Mumbai and then I did my undergrad in Business Management from University of Nottingham, UK. Then I spent one year in Melbourne, Australia and now here I am playing for Jamshedpur FC in the ISL.
3. On his passion for football…
   Since I was a kid it has always been football football football. I was only 4 years old when I started playing. My passion and dreams have always revolved around playing football. Even my Dad is a sports enthusiast. He used to play rugby and was also a national level tennis player. He always supported my football dream.
4. On his first week in Jamshedpur…
   We saw the Tata Steel plant and went to Beldih Club for karaoke with the team. Seeing the plant was an important experience. It’s good to know the culture behind the company that is supporting us.
5. On his gaffer…
   The boss is fantastic! He doesn’t scold, he explains. His professionalism, coaching style and techniques shows how good he is and how experienced he is.
6. His pitch-side views…
   The quality of football is quite high here. The gaffer is focusing on fitness and injury-free training…smart training. We are playing small-sided games and practising set pieces. But the main challenge will be the upcoming practice matches in Thailand.
7. On his love for sports…
   I like all sports – I have played tennis and basketball, and I am also a decent athlete. I am not that good with cricket, though I like watching it. I like to bat! My technique is not that good. If the bat connects it’s a six or I am out. I like to run marathons too. I have participated in a few marathons, the most recent being the Bangalore World 10K.

You can follow Siddharth Singh on Instagram: @sidsingh93