India defender Sandesh Jhingan thinks his stint with his new club, HNK Sibenik, which features in Croatia’s premier division, will help him improve his game.
“This (opportunity) will enhance my game. This is where I would be tested to my limit. If I can put in the work, if I stay disciplined enough, then I can see if I can get into the starting XI. It’s very challenging but I trust myself, my work ethic,” Jhingan said from the Adriatic town of Sibenik during a virtual news conference on Thursday.
“I am at a stage of my career where I really want to test myself at the highest level possible and I think this is the perfect platform for me. It has been my personal desire to play in Europe and I have taken up this challenge.
“This (Croatia’s premier division) is a very tough league. The growth of their national team has been immense, they played in the World Cup final in 2018 and their players play in big European leagues so of course, the level is high and that is why I decided to come here.”
Jhingan thanked his previous club, ATK Mohun Bagan, for backing him last season when he returned from a knee injury.
“The move from ATK Mohun Bagan to Sibenik was difficult because I have a lot of respect for the ATK Mohun Bagan owner (Sanjiv Goenka) and coach (Antonio Lopez) Habas.
“We dreamt together to win the AFC Cup but football is how it is. Every Asian has a desire to move to Europe, so I had to take this decision. I am at the right age now for a new challenge.”
Jhingan had joined ATK Mohun Bagan on a five-year deal last season.
Praising the Indian Super League (ISL) for helping him grow as a footballer, Jhingan said: “The more I say how it has benefitted me the less it is. ISL has been a blessing for me and a lot of Indian players will agree with. It has given us a lot of exposure.”
The 28-year-old, India’s Footballer of the Year, would be wearing jersey No. 55 and said he always wanted to move out of the comfort zone.
“If you have monitored my career, I have always preferred to take decisions outside my comfort zone. I wanted to go somewhere... I always have this thing in my mind that sky is the limit. I dreamt big, worked hard for it, remained disciplined and made sacrifices to achieve my full potential. I never went after money, I always chose glory over money. That’s how I take my decisions... I prefer to sleep with a clear conscience.”
Eduardo Zapata, who is one of the co-owners in a Colombian consortium which owns HNK Sibenik, is delighted to have Jhingan on board, from a footballing point of view as well as for their aim to promote multiculturalism.
“We are thrilled about Sandesh coming here. I am a Colombian owner in Croatian football. I don’t care if he is from India or Argentina. Sandesh is a good player and we all agree on it. It was our coach’s (Mario Rosas) call. He has an idea about Indian football. Your national team coach (Igor Stimac) is also a Croat,” Zapata, who is also the club’s chief executive officer, said. Last season, Sibenik finished sixth in the league, two positions below qualification to Europa League.
Sibenik is located in the Dalmatian region of Croatia with a population of just 40000. “Coming from India that’s something very interesting,” Jhingan said.
