It’s always challenging to compete with players like Norde & Jeje : Kean Lewis
Internet Desk: Mohun Bagan and Delhi Dynamos midfielder Kean Lewis is enjoying his stint under former Italian World Cup winner and Dynamos coach Gianluca Zambrotta. Lewis, playing in his first ISL season has already caught the eyes of the Italian. The 24 year old Lewis has already etched his name in the record books by scoring the 400th goal of the ISL. He is also the leading scorer among the Indians playing in the league so far. Here is the conversation between Lewis and xtratime.in
How had been the stint with Dynamos so far?
Keane Lewis: It’s been great playing for the Dynamos this season, the entire team has been relentlessly working hard giving it all they’ve got. The disciplinary ways of the Dynamos has done the team good so far, bringing us closer as a family.
Did you know your goal against FC Pune City was the 400th in ISL?
Keane Lewis: To be honest I wasn’t even aware it would’ve been the 400th goal of the season, although it’s nice knowing it is so, just had my head in the game and needed to score for the team, however we didn’t manage to come away with 3 points to win, the bigger goal wasn’t achieved .
You are now the top scorer amongst Indians playing in the League with 4 goals.
Keane Lewis: I’ve got to admit, it does feel pretty awesome! The league isn’t over yet, still need to get more goals down for the team. Honestly, to me it doesn’t really matter who’s the top scorer as long as we’ve got the win.
How has been the experience of playing under Zambrotta ?
Keane Lewis: Zambrotta and the Italian coaching staff have given a lot of importance to us being disciplined from day one of pre season whether it was following rules off the pitch, training or tactics during the match. This has brought about much more quality on the field and a sense of family off the field. He’s very calm and composed even if things are not going our way, which shows he still believes in the team and knows that we are capable of turning things around as we’ve done in two games previously.
Malouda had been brilliant so far for Dynamos. How are you enjoying playing with the French footballer?
Keane Lewis: It’s great to play alongside him. He understands my game and he’s very fast with his feet and his thinking. He often encourages me to go higher up the field and also guides me with my positioning during the game. I’ve played against World Cup players and big names, but this is the first time I’ve had the privilege to play alongside them.
Last one year has been really good for you. What had been the secret for your success?
Keane Lewis: Mohun Bagan wasn’t much of a success for me since I was competing to play in the same position with the foreign players, so didn’t really get much time on the field. But I’ve been fortunate enough to be picked up by the ISL team. I’m grateful to God for this opportunity.
How frustrating was it to sit on the benches when you signed for Mohun Bagan?
Keane Lewis: As a player it was frustrating to be sitting out for the games because every player on the team does want to play. But also as a professional, you’ve got to understand when there’s competition and you’ve got to wait for your opportunity while continuing to work hard.
How did you enjoy competing with star players like Norde and Jeje?
Keane Lewis: These guys are quality players so it surely does feel great to play alongside them. But competing for the sport against them isn’t that exciting because it’s challenging. They’re also great friends off the field, so there’s a good bond we share. They’ve both been in great form for the last I League season as well as this ISL season, which is rewarding as a friend and a teammate.
Coach Sanjay Sen has been pretty appreciative about you. How does it feel to have the confidence of the coach?
Keane Lewis: He’s been a great coach, always encouraging and supporting the players, not just me. More importantly he’s a great person off the pitch as well. It’s good to know that the coach would have your back during the games and competition, even when the team loses and we make mistakes as individuals.
Lastly , how are looking forward to playing in the I League?
Keane Lewis: I’m not thinking about that right now, focusing on the ISL games at hand. That’s something I would think about later though after the ISL.