English Defender Peter Hartley, who is making his debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the upcoming 2020-21 season with Jamshedpur FC, looks forward to a successful ISL season, as he is out of quarantine and finally met his teammates.
The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) will kick-off on November 20 in Goa.
The 32-year-old English defender is adjusting well to the hot and humid conditions in Goa. He was anxious to come out of isolation. “Well, it was a long journey from England to India. I slept for a couple of days in isolation and just couldn’t wait for the quarantine to get over so that I can and interact, socialize with the boys, train and work hard. I missed my wife and spent time in isolation watching movies on Netflix,” Hartley said from Goa.
When asked about his thoughts of playing with the Indian players for the first time, he said, “I have very good and positive thoughts. The standard of Indian players is very good. The boys are really fit and very good on the ball. We are doing a hard job under Owen Coyle (head coach), Sandy Stewart, Noel Wilson (both assistant coaches) and Adrian Dias (strength and conditioning coach). We are looking forward to more time on the pitch.”
One of the prized possessions of Jamshedpur FC, Peter Hartley is keen to put his best foot forward. His expectation is to give everything for the club and to have a very successful season. He expects the group to create history for Jamshedpur and make it to the play-offs.
He also added that Owen Coyle sets very high standards and knows what the game is all about. “Having already spent five days with the coach and his assistants I think it would be very positive. The team is going to be on the front foot. We will be taking games to teams. We also have experience throughout the team. Owen has created a very good mix. So, there can be very positive moments ahead,” remarked the experienced defender.
Owen Coyle, the head coach has a fantastic reputation in both England and Scotland. Having played against his teams in both countries, they fight until the very end no matter what’s the outcome. “It’s an attitude I’ve seen he can easily instill on his team and it is something I wanted to be part of,” he added.
Hartley mentioned that he had three excellent seasons at Motherwell FC. “It’s a club I will hold close to my heart for everything that we’ve achieved. But things change, plus the global pandemic didn’t help things. Sometimes, a new challenge is what is required and I needed to make sure that I chose a club and a manager who can help me grow and improve as a person and player, and Jamshedpur FC is the place for that I believe,” he stated.
In his message to the fans, Hartley said, “I thank you for the support I’ve already received in such a short time. I can see you are passionate, which is a characteristic of mine as well. Let’s give everything for a successful season. We are stronger together.”
