We look good to put up yet another historic season- Alwyn George & Shankar Sampingiraj
It will be the first season for the duo playing for the Stallions.
Some of FC Pune City’s youngest talent were at the heart of the team’s historic run last season. With Alwyn George and Shankar Sampingiraj, the club looks to continue doing that. The midfielders who joined the club this season have set expectations for themselves and from the club too.
“I wish to remain injury-free and maintain high levels of fitness for the coming season,” says Shankar of what he expects from himself. Shankar comes in to the FC Pune City fold after having an impressive outing for Bengaluru FC leading upto a national call for the U-23 side. The Karnataka born began his professional career with HAL and later signed with Pailan Arrows followed by a stint at DSK Shivajians (on loan)
His fellow midfielder Alwyn also is clear about his priorities. “I want to get as much game time as possible here at FC Pune City and am doing everything I need to do for making that happen,” says Alwyn who has a homecoming of sorts. The Nagpur lad is playing for a Maharashtra based club for the first time in his professional career.
Alwyn started his career with the Tata Football Academy in 2008 and signed his first professional contract with Pailan Arrows four years later. It was midfielder’s stint at Dempo that caught the eyes of everyone as he was named best young Indian player of the season for two years in a row. Post this, Alwyn played in Indian Super League with FC Goa, Delhi Dynamos FC and later Bengaluru FC
On their reasons to joining the Stallions, both had similar reasons. “I spoke to a couple of friends including Alwyn who told me this was a good place to be since they had a great setup and also did well last season so,” explains Shankar.
ALSO READ
- Mumbai City conclude pre-season with win against Bangkok United
- Delhi Dynamos tickets to cost only ₹49
- Jamshedpur FC trounce Atletico Madrid B in pre-season friendly
When enquired about a season spread across seven months with breaks in between, the two medios weren’t too worried about it. “We will have a set program with our coach and support staff guiding us through it ensuring we are match-ready at every point of time,” Shankar clarifies. For Alwyn, the break in December will be the one he will look forward to. After representing India at the SAFF Championship in 2013, Alwyn will be looking to don the Blues for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]“I have been with the national setup a while back and my aim is to break through this time around for the Asian Cup,” a determined Alwyn says. But the focus remains on the opportunity at hand. “For me, playing competitive football is always the priority. If I get to play for India in any form, that’s the ultimate goal of playing good football at club level,” explains Alwyn.
For now both Alwyn and Shankar believe their teams pre-season is going well and they are only getting better each day. “We look good to put up yet another historic season. Wait for us to get on the field,” concludes Alwyn.
Latest News
- Swami Vivekananda U-20 NFC: Manipur qualify for quarter-finals with draw against Odisha
- Cole Palmer returns to Chelsea training after missing midweek game against Arsenal
- I-League 2023-24: Gyamar Nikum named Best Emerging Player
- New England vs Inter Miami Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast
- Canada national football team contact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer & Jesse Marsch over vacant manager job
Trending Articles
- Scouting Report: Who is East Bengal's bright talent Sayan Banerjee?
- Which clubs have won ISL Trophy in the past?
- Anju Turambekar appointed AFC Youth Panel Member to represent Singapore
- Hyderabad FC handed 'another' FIFA transfer ban
- Jahouh's domination and other talking points from Odisha FC's win over Mohun Bagan
Editor Picks
- All-Indian scorecard and other talking points from ISL semi-final between FC Goa and Mumbai City FC
- Which clubs have won ISL Trophy in the past?
- Anju Turambekar appointed AFC Youth Panel Member to represent Singapore
- Top five players with most away goals in UEFA Champions League knockout phase
- Hyderabad FC handed 'another' FIFA transfer ban