New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): Mumbai City FC, the defending champions of the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup, are known for nurturing and bringing in young talent through their ranks. The youth structure has always been a key feature of their success, having won two ISL League Shields and two ISL Cups in their brief history.
Mumbai City FC striker Ayush Chikkara is one of the latest young stars who is in the limelight after he made his mark for the club in the Kalinga Cup, scoring three goals in the tournament last season. However, the 22-year-old from Haryana has yet to play in the ISL 2024-25 season, and he is still recovering from a knee injury that’s kept him out of action.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Ayush opened up about his experience at the club, how he deals with pressure and recovery, how Mumbai City FC nurture young talent consistently, and his thoughts on their season so far.
The 22-year-old isn’t overawed by the expectations and noise from the outside, keeping a mature head on his shoulders more often than not. While shedding some light on how he deals with pressure and the kind of expectations he sets for himself. “I don't take pressure from outside, I don't see expectations from others. I just expect things from myself. There are some expectations I have for myself. I want to play for the national team. I want to be a regular in the Mumbai City side. I want to score goals for the club. Those are my goals and those are the expectations I have for myself. So, I try to push myself to reach them,” Ayush told IANS.
In the last couple of seasons, Mumbai City FC have provided a pathway into the first team for quite a few players. This season, Nathan Rodrigues and Supratim Das are two players who have already made their mark in the league. The two came through the ranks alongside Ayush Chikkara, with all three having moved their way up the ranks in Mumbai’s youth set-up.
Seeing his fellow mates make their mark on the first team, Ayush reflects on how they believe that they’re at the right place and how Mumbai City FC is the best place for the youngsters to grow.
He said, “You can see all the youngsters who are coming up. It shows how well Mumbai City promotes the young players. Last year, Nathan didn't have many chances but this year, he's proving himself and playing all the games, and he has scored twice now which is really good. I’m really happy for him. "Also, Supratim, who came just this year. He has made his debut, which is really good. I’m really happy to see them because we all have come from one academy. We all think that Mumbai City is the best place for us youngsters to grow, improve and reach our best levels.”
When asked about his recovery and if he believes he can hit the ground running instantly on his return, he said, “To be honest, I'm not thinking about that. I'm just focused and training well. I know I'll give my best whenever the coach gives me a chance. I don't put pressure on myself in terms of having to try and do this or do that. I just want to give my hundred percent and the results will follow. I believe that.”
The young striker was full of praise for his head coach, Petr Kratky, expressing his gratitude towards the coach for his support during the injury. “He's a really nice coach because from the day he came, he made me feel comfortable. He really likes an attacking style of football, which is very good for me. Also, when I was injured, he really supported me on and off the field.
"During my low times, he took up to me. He never made me feel like I was not part of the squad. So, that really mattered a lot and his support is always there for the youngsters, which will really help me and all the other players to grow under him,” Ayush added.
He also gave some insight into the camaraderie amongst the Mumbai City FC team and how the seniors play their part in imparting some wisdom to the youngsters.
“Whenever we all are together, there’s enough talk about football. Even when we’re in training, Niko (Karelis) always talks to me and guides me as a senior player, and I always try to learn from whomever I can, not only him. Being a striker, he (Karelis) guides me whenever we do finishing drills or with things like where to take position and all the small, small specific details. And that, for me is a good sign, you know? Having a striker who helps me, that's good for me so that I can learn more and I can improve,” said Ayush.
Heading into the international break, Mumbai City FC are currently eighth in the ISL 2024-2025 season, with ten points from their seven matches. Reflecting on the team’s performance so far, Ayush believes that they were gelling together well and slowly picking up form.
“We didn’t start too well per the expectations but now we are slowly picking up some form in the season and that's what matters. It’s a whole new set of players this season, so it will take time to gel together. However, recently in the past few matches, we are doing good and we are slowly picking up the form and we'll want this form to continue after the break,” he concluded.
Mumbai City FC will return to action on November 26, playing against Punjab FC at the Mumbai Football Arena.