In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, Hyderabad FC’s defender Reagan Singh, who is currently playing on loan from Chennaiyin FC, speaks of his growth in the game, something that he misses about Chennaiyin, Hyderabad as a team and more.
Tejal Sinha
Lionel Messi, the soccer legend among the greatest athletes of all time, once said, “I don’t need the best hairstyle or the best body. Just give me a ball at my feet and I’ll show you what I can do.” This has been something any soccer enthusiast would relate to, in fact would be their motto, to be more specific.
No surprise to the fact that the craze of soccer has been growing tremendously. We are just not saying it for the sake of saying it. The example for this was when an explosion of joy was seen all over when Argentina supporters celebrated the team’s win in the recent world cup. On the other hand, the ongoing Hero Indian Super League is not just an example of the craze but also shows how India too has some amazingly talented players.
Why talk about the rest, when we have our very own Hyderabad FC that has paved its own path into the game. The club got the winning trophy in the previous season of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22. In the ongoing season too, the club has been ranked second, in the top 5 clubs of the season.
Hyderabad FC has turned out to be one of the best and toughest teams that has been constantly growing in their game. Ahead of the ongoing season, Hyderabad FC had signed the 31-year-old Manipur-born defender, Keisham Reagan Singh on loan from Chennaiyin FC. Born in Manipur, Reagan is a robust defender, who gives it his all every time he is on the field. He started his professional career in Shillong with Royal Wahingdoh and has since moved to NorthEast United and Chennaiyin FC, amassing over 100 ISL appearances and close to 50 I-League appearances in his career.
As it is definitely a proud moment for the ‘City of Nizams’ as the home club is making its mark in the history of the game, The Pioneer got the opportunity to interact with Reagan, who opens up about his growth in the game, something that he misses about Chennaiyin, Hyderabad as a team and more.
To start with, Reagan says, “I started my career with RWFC in the second division I-League and after working hard for two years, we managed to qualify for the I League. I joined the ISL later, where the standard was higher and it helped me learn from the best coaches in the country, and helped me improve every single day.”
In sports, one thing that is always unexpected is you never know which team wins. We have seen several matches where initially some teams do play really well but then the opposite team makes it better. However, the team gets acknowledged for playing well.
So, is winning important or playing well in the match? He says “For me, playing well is as important as winning but in football, three points is all that matters and that is what we focus on for every game.”
Playing with a team for quite a while, and then going to a new team is definitely not a piece of cake. There’s a lot that changes not only for the team but also the player. Reagan who had earlier played for Chennayin, and now playing as a defender for Hyderabad, on loan from Indian Super League club Chennaiyin, we asked, what is something that he misses about the team? To this he says, “I played in Chennai for two years and was a regular in the first team, as I learned a lot and improved as a player. I do have some emotional attachment with the club but at the moment I play for Hyderabad FC and I am only thinking about our season here.”
What we know of late about the Hyderabad team is that they’re not gonna let go of the winners crown so easily. Having been a part of the club, he says, “I think the biggest strength of this team on the field is that we are very compact, which makes it hard for teams to break us. We play as a team and are a family off the field, which is a strong point for this club.”
The Spanish professional football manager Manolo Márquez has been coaching Hyderabad FC since 2020. Speaking of the Spainard, he enthused, “Everyone knows he is a really good coach. He gives confidence to every player in the squad, especially the youngsters as he helps them work and improve on the skills and techniques of every player.”
In a nutshell, talking about whether there is still a long way to the world cup, he says, “In my opinion, if the youngsters in the country continue to play, and impress in the ISL and the I-League, it is not long before we can compete for that.”
