Sunil Chhetri

“The good part about youngsters is that they are so fearless. You want to be like them.”

“Football is a contact sport. So, on the pitch, it isn't possible to maintain distance like you can in an office job.”

“The worst thing is for a player to come to a club and not be able to play.”

“You need to understand what works best for your own body.”

“When I signed up for BFC, then-coach Ashley Westwood wanted me to play on the left as an attacking midfielder. I was not sure initially but I believed in his vision. For the first six-seven games, I didn't really know what I was doing. I was like a headless chicken. But he kept backing me.”

“Egos are never nice. I have been a victim of it a lot of times in my career. Whenever I have used it, I have failed.”

“Football is a team game and none can survive or excel without the help of the other.”

“I take my sleep very, very important.”

“Even the best and biggest teams in the world do not reach finals of tournaments.”

“I want to believe that I am improving. This is something that I take really seriously.”

“I do understand it's not easy to run an I-league club. I have been part of many and I know the scene.”

“You have to be tough and have a lot of faith.”

“I like my fair share of board games.”

“If someone told me I could play two Asian Cup finals, I wouldn't have believed it.”

“The North East has always been the hub to produce few of the best talents in the country and it is great for the people from the hills to have their own local club to cheer for considering the kind of passion they have for the game.”

“Over the years, all my coaches and my teammates have contributed a lot to shape my career. I can never forget their contribution and help.”

“I have to keep improving myself and challenging myself.”

“The older you get, the better you get.”

“When I was a young kid, I did not even dream about playing for my country. It was such a farfetched thing to play for India.”

“When you are younger, you want to do everything, and you go haywire.”