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Mohun Bagan side back’s dream is to represent India

[caption id="attachment_32567" align="alignnone" width="580"] Souvik Chakrabarti with his coach in Delhi Dynamos Gianluca Zambrotta. Image Source: facebook[/caption] Kolkata: Mohun Bagan coach Sanjay Sen will have the luxury of using Souvik Chakrabarti in any position during the forthcoming I League. The 25 year old footballer from Baranagar, predominantly a midfielder was used by Delhi Dynamos coach Gianluca Zambrotta in left back position in the recently concluded ISL. While during the tenure of Roberto Carlos he played in right back position. The versatility shown by Souvik playing at different position will give Sanjay Sen plenty of options during the I League. On being asked about his preferred position Souvik said, “I have always given preference to the team I am playing for. For me the team has always come first, right from my United Sports days. I have always tried to follow the coach’s instructions” Souvik was recently in headlines for having registered a commendable achievement as he emerged as the only player to feature in every minute of Delhi Dynamos playing time in the recently concluded Indian Super League (ISL). Souvik has played 1260 minutes in 14 matches, making him the player to have spent the maximum minutes on the field. He is one of the very few Indian players who have won accolades from all his coaches in ISL. Souvik has been with the Dynamos squad since its inception in 2014 and has played under the likes of Del Piero, Roberto Carlos and Gianluca Zambrotta. In his experience it has been fascinating to play under their coaching. According to Souvik, “Del Piero was very soft spoken person while Roberto Carlos was very friendly like a typical Brazilian. He mixed with us as friends. Once he bared his thighs and showed it to us saying it is the most expensive thighs. Zambrotta was very strict and disciplined and gave much more emphasis to tactical moves. He used to train me separately after practice for about 10 mins. In a match against North East United I did not play as well I was expected. He called me in the dressing room and showed me where I went wrong through video analysis. He has always given me confidence to develop myself as a footballer.” Talking about the disappointment of missing the ISL final, Souvik said, “The loss to Blasters in the tie-breakers was really heart-breaking. We played well as a team but failed to make it to the final. May be if we manage to win the I League, that will act as a consolation for me.” Souvik has developed his game during his stint at Mohun Bagan under Sanjay Sen. He feels the dressing room atmosphere was the key for the Mariners to do well in last couple of seasons. “Sanjay Sir has managed the side well in last couple of seasons. The atmosphere in the dressing room was key for the success we had.” Souvik credited Ranjan Bhattacharya who has coached him during his childhood days. It was because of his constant support that he could make a career for himself in spite of the strong opposition from his family.On the personal front, Souvik’s dream is to win a place in senior India team. “It has always been a dream for me to play for the senior India team. My biggest motivation is to play for the country one day. I will try my best to do well in the I League matches and help my team win.”