Exclusive: Jobby Justin: I'm staying at ATK, Kerala Blasters haven't approached me

The 26-year-old forward spoke about his routine during the lockdown period and his dream to play for the Kochi-based club.

Earlier this week, Khel Now caught up with ATK forward Jobby Justin, who is currently at his home in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown caused by the global outbreak of COVID-19.

The striker who currently plies his trade with the reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions spoke on a host of topics exclusively to Khel Now, including the truth behind transfer rumours linking him with a move to Kerala Blasters and more.

Just like every other footballer right now, Jobby Justin also trains alone at home. During the interview, he revealed how he goes about his training exercises these days.

"I train for a few hours every morning. Most of these sessions involve only me and no one else, obviously. I also do Yoga. Yoga and personal training have been helping me maintain my fitness despite the ongoing absence of competitive football," he said.

The 2019-20 ISL campaign was only a moderate success for the 26-year-old, as he made only a total of 10 appearances for the Kolkata-outfit. He was also an unused substitute in both the semi-finals and the final and made it into his team's starting XI only thrice during the season. Despite so, he managed a goal and an assist - which is why he is not really bothered about the relatively fewer chances he got on the pitch as compared to some of his teammates.

"In my honest opinion, I am happy at ATK right now," he said. "I am currently on a three-year contract with them. It's true that I got fewer chances than expected in my first season, but I myself may have been the reason for this."

"I ended the 2018-19 I-League season at East Bengal with a six-match suspension (for a spat with Aizawl FC defender Kareem Nurain in a previous match). While I served half of my suspension at East Bengal itself, I had to complete the other half at ATK, which meant I was not even a part of their squad in the first three matches of the new season," he added.

"During those three matches (where ATK scored seven goals), the strikers who took my place (David Williams and Roy Krishna) did exceptionally well. When I returned to the squad, I had to compete with both of them. I was even ready to try my luck at other positions in a bid to enter the starting XI, but that did not work in my favour either," Jobby Justin revealed.

"But it's fine really, as I have two more seasons remaining with them. And I am definitely looking forward to impress the coach and get more chances next time," he added.

Speaking about the Blasters' transfer rumours, Justin said, "No, they (Kerala Blasters) haven't approached me so far."

"Anyway, my focus is currently on improving myself at ATK. I've already played at East Bengal and now with my club merging with Mohun Bagan, I can say that in a way, I've played for three of the most legendary football clubs not only in Kolkata, but also when you take the whole of India into account. I also won the ISL in my first-ever season, and that is a remarkable achievement."

"But don't get me wrong, it has always been a very big dream of mine to play for Kerala Blasters one day," he went on to add. "They represent my home state and also have some of the best fans and are quite popular all over the world. I would definitely love to play for them some day."

"If the Blasters management is interested in me, they are welcome to have talks. Let's see," Jobby Justin signed off.