Collin Fernandes is the latest signing of I-League outfit Mumbai FC.

The 22 year old footballer faced the Mumbai FC media team for an interview on his career and the goals with his new club.

INTERVIEW

How and when did you start playing football professionally?
I was part of the Mahindra u-15 team when I was 13 years old. I had coaches like Santosh Kashyap, Farukh sir and Diego sir who helped me a lot. I progressed from u-15 to the u-17 then the u-19 and ultimately got picked for the senior team by David Booth.

Your thoughts on joining Mumbai FC…
I’m here to help my team win trophies. I’m excited to play for the Mumbaikars. I am sure I’ll have a great time playing at this club.

What activities are you interested in other than football?
Outdoor sports! I like to play badminton a lot too. I can’t sit at home. I need to be outside.

There hasn’t been much football recently. What have you been doing in the off season?
I usually train and work out but I have not been able to do those because of a knee injury I got while playing. I have been undergoing rehabilitation and physiotherapy for some time now. I am eager to get back to full fitness and play.

Any experiences you would like to share while you used to play for your former clubs…
When I was playing at Air India I was young. I had a chance to show my talent and make people notice me. It was a good opportunity.
Salgaocar was a step forward. Karim Bencherifa was the coach at that time. He really pushes his players and I developed a lot under him. Then mid-way through the season they replaced Karim Sir with David Booth. I have been lucky to play under good coaches.
Later I moved to Mohammedan. Some people did question my move, but I really wanted to experience playing for a Kolkata club. I had the opportunity and I took it.

One moment from your career that you relished the most…
I have 2 moments actually; one when I scored against Dempo won 3-0. Rahul Bheke was also with me at Air India back then.
Second was match against Mohun Bagan when I was playing for Mohmmedan. It was a jam packed crowd. It was a totally different experience.

What’s your favorite position as a player?
I have played many positions in my career. My advantage is I am good with both feet. But I love to play as Wing Back the most. It involves a lot of running and Wing-play is an important part for almost all footballing systems.

Message to fans…
I am happy to sign for Mumbai FC and you should be happy to sing for Mumbai FC (laughs). Definitely come and watch us play. Football in Mumbai is massive and we would love to have you fans cheering for us from the stands.