We are lucky to have Igor Stimac as coach, says Amarjit Singh Kiyam

The young midfielder has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame following the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Being level-headed and possessing maturity way beyond your years are enviable virtues that are not very common, more so usually among young individuals. The presence of those qualities can then easily separate one from the crowd, elevating them to a higher level in any given field, which has proven to be the case for young Amarjit Singh Kiyam.

The 19-year-old is already one of the brightest prospects in Indian football currently. Besides his football talent, Amarjit Singh Kiyam is an exemplary professional with valuable leadership traits, which saw him captain the Indian National team at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He has an unassuming demeanor and Kiyam believes his humble upbringing has played a big role in shaping him as a person.

“From my childhood, I belong to a poor family so whenever I used to get anything, for example, like a shoe to play football, you had to wear it again and again, if it tore, you had to stitch it back to wear it again. So I knew the value and I learned these small things from responsibilities to taking care of things.”

“My parents used to tell me that if I received anything, I need to take care of it and I need to take full responsibility. From that time, I have learned these little things and it has worked well for me, so my family has helped me a lot,” the youngster said in a live session on the Indian Football Team’s official Instagram handle.

The midfielder expressed his gratitude to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for providing them the opportunity to play numerous top teams at youth level, which has vastly helped the youngsters in their development.

“We have been very lucky because the number of exposure tours we have got, they are maybe more than any national team have got so far. For example - Brazil, South Africa, Germany, Spain, Norway, Italy – like we have been to so many countries and we have played against so many good national teams, clubs. We have learned a lot from these exposure tours. We have faced players who are now playing for the world’s best teams,” he recalled.

“Now, that I think about it, we played against (Erling) Haaland when we faced Norway, (Mohammed) Nawaz had made a good save in that match. We have played against Brazil too in the BRICS tournament – Vinicius Junior was there too, now he is playing for Real Madrid. Now, we think that we have played against top players. We have learned a lot by watching and playing against them. I want to thank the AIFF for working hard to give us these exposure tours,” Amarjit Singh Kiyam asserted.

Following the completion of the World Cup, the teenager competed in the I-League, leading the Indian Arrows side. Recalling his time with the developmental team, Kiyam revealed that the young brigade were nervous initially but it ended up being a vital learning curve for them.  

“Just months after the World Cup, when we learned that we will be playing in the I-League, it was like a big achievement for us because AIFF had created a ladder for us. It was a bit scary for us too because there were so many good teams in the I-League like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, NEROCA etc. We thought they have foreigners too, good Indian players, senior players, so how do we compete against them? People from the AIFF committee, our coaches, staff and everyone motivated us and told us we could do something in the Hero I-League.”

“Our coaches had also informed us how beneficial it would be for us in the future. Now, we realize after those two seasons, especially me, I got an opportunity to play for the national team and in the ISL, that all is because of the U-17 World Cup, I-League, and exposure tours. It is responsible for my growth and it was very beneficial for us and we enjoyed it too,” he went on to add.

The Jamshedpur FC midfielder’s meteoric rise was capped by his national team debut under Igor Stimac against Curacao in the King’s Cup Opener in 2019. Amarjit Singh Kiyam was full of praise for the man who gave him the opportunity to represent his nation at the senior-level, highlighting his willingness to give youngsters a chance to prove their mettle.

“The coach likes players who give their best. Regardless of whether you are a junior or a senior player, he treats everyone equally. Transitions are very important for him in the game. When the opponents snatch the ball, we have to remain compact at the back and defend like a team. When we get the ball, especially in my area as a defensive midfielder, I have to quickly look for (Anirudh) Thapa bhai, Udanta (Singh) bhai on the wing, Sahal (Abdul Samad) and (Lallianzuala) Chhangte, I have to find them. I don’t have to dribble, I have to quickly supply the ball.”

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“He likes these things. So I try to apply the things on the field that the coach likes. He is a very good coach. I got my debut because of the coach, if the coach wouldn’t have been there, maybe I wouldn’t have got it. Whenever I make a mistake in the match, he used to tell me that, ‘No problem, you are a young player, it is your time to learn’ and told us to learn as much as you can. As young players coming into the team we are very lucky that we have got such a coach,” Amarjit Singh Kiyam signed off.

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