Can change myself according to coach's plan, says Sandip Mandi

The defender made five appearances in the ISL last season.

When it comes to developing players, TATA Football Academy was a class apart until recently. There have been instances when almost the several members of the Indian national team were graduates from the prestigious academy. However, after the inception of the Indian Super League, clubs have focused on their own academies. Thus, the TATA Football Academy has lost some of its sheen. Jamshedpur FC defender Sandip Mandi hails from the same and was promoted to the senior team in January, 2020.

Recently Khel Now joined the youngster in a chat. The 20-year-old shared about his journey to Jamshedpur FC and the future goals with the team.

How it all started

Sandip Mandi hails from West Bengal, a state where football is one of the most popular sports.

“Seeing my father and other locals play football, love for the game developed in me. I joined Kalyani Municipality Football Academy to train professionally. From there, I was selected for the West Bengal team. I travelled to Odisha with the team where we defeated Jharkhand by a big margin and I was selected for India U-14 team from there,” Mandi shared about his footballing journey.

The defender continued, “Then came the call for the India U-16 team, where I got great exposure while travelling to other countries. I got to learn a lot from the foreign players of my age. It was a commendable experience to see how they train, their diet and their game. Following that, I was called up for a trial at the Tata Football Academy.”

Debut for Jamshedpur FC

Sandip Mandi made his debut for Jamshedpur FC in ISL 2019-20 season. The versatile defender remembers the moment like it happened yesterday.

“At TFA (Tata Football Academy), seeing players like Tiri and Memo train motivated me to push harder and get into the first team. When I finally got my debut at the Furnace against ATK, I was really nervous. But seniors like Subrata Da (Subrata Paul) came and comforted me,” Mandi asserted.

“Jamshedpur FC have one of the best fan bases in the country. And making my debut in front of the home fans at the age of 17 was nerve-wracking for me. I made some mistakes in the game as well, but I got the support from coach Antonio (Iriondo) to keep going,” he added.

Aspirations for first team

Sandip Mandi has been used in different roles for Jamshedpur FC under different coaches. He started as a left back, then played on the wings under Owen Coyle and led the defence centrally during the Reliance Foundation Development League. The defender spoke about the same at length.

“I am young now, so it doesn’t bother me much. The coach can play me wherever he feels is right for me. I can change myself according to the coach's plans and play in any position. Speaking honestly, I like to play as a centre-back more because of the added responsibility there. Also, I get the ball more while playing in that position.

“I am trying my best to break into the starting eleven. And for that, competing with Ricky bhai (Ricky Lallawmawma) is good for me as well. It will be a learning experience for me throughout,” Mandi said on being asked about breaking into the playing eleven.

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Expectations for the next season

For any young player, playing time is as important as the team's overall result. Mandi is no exception. The 20-year-old outlined his expectations for the upcoming season.

“With the team, I want to get into the play-offs again and win the Shield. On an individual level, I would look to get more playing time and contribute to the team more than last season,” he signed off.