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Eugeneson Lyngdoh is currently on a dream run of form. The Bengaluru FC midfielder who was voted the I-League Midfielder of the Year has had a commendable season which saw him earn a call-up to the Indian national team, even making his international debut in a historic campaign that sees the Blue Tigers try and seal a place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. And he has been duly rewarded by the Federation Cup champions with a new two-year deal that will see him play for the Blues until the 2016/17 season.
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The 28-year-old midfielder then saw his stock rise at the ISL Auction when he was bought by FC Pune City for a whopping Rs. 1.05 crore. As he looks ahead to the second season of the Indian Super League, he sat down for an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
First of all, congratulations on an impressive year and signing for FC Pune City in the Indian Super League.
Thank you, thank you very much!
Five clubs wanted to sign you in the ISL Auction – Kerala Blasters, Pune City, NorthEast United, Mumbai City and Atletico de Kolkata. Ultimately, Pune City outbid everyone and you became the first player in the ISL auction to go for over Rs. 1 crore. What was it like sitting there and watching the price go up?
It was very tense sitting in the other room but at the same time I was also very excited. At first the bidding process started very slowly and I was initially a little worried. And then suddenly the bid reached Rs. 70 lakhs (Lyngdoh's base price was Rs. 27.50 lakhs). At that point, I was excited and I thought 'Oh, my god! Whatever the price is now, I'll be happy'. It was great!
What are your impressions of Pune? It is a city you know well after all. You went to college there.
Yeah, I went to Maharashtra Academy of Engineering. Pune is a city where the people love their football. It is not recognized as a football city in India, but the fans there do know their football. I was delighted when I realized Pune had won the bid and I was thinking to myself, 'Okay, now I can go back to Pune'.
Have you spoken to Pune City coach David Platt yet? Does he have any expectations from you?
No, I haven't spoken to him yet. But he did send me a message saying how happy he was to see me in the Pune City squad and that he has belief in me. I will just do my best for Pune and listen to whatever plans the coach has for me and implement them.
Pune City bought both you and Jackichand Singh, who won the I-League Best Player award. Looking forward to playing alongside him?
Yes, I'm looking forward to playing with him again. We played together for the Meghalaya U-21 team in the nationals and more recently for India in the World Cup qualifiers.
Coming to your I-League season, you had a stellar season on a personal level with Bengaluru FC. This isn't your first time in the city, you studied at Bishop Cottons school. So how important was it for you when you signed for BFC last year? Do you feel a connection with the city?
Yeah, I wanted to come back to Bengaluru last year. I was hoping to play for Bengaluru FC last season and finally when the opportunity came it felt great. It was very good to come back to Bengaluru.
You hit the ground running this season with your performances in the Durand Cup and Federation Cup. Did it take long for you to gel with the Bengaluru FC team before the start of the I-League season?
It was very easy to gel with this team. The players in the club are so welcoming. They are a great bunch – both the foreign players and Indian players in the squad. The club management was also very welcoming and did everything to create a good atmosphere at the club. All these factors helped me gel with the team very fast.
How crucial has coach Ashley Westwood been to your development as a player? How does he motivate you in training and on the pitch?
The coach is one of the best and he really knows what he's doing. He has a vision for every player and how to get the best out of them. And he really helps the player develop – both on and off the field.
Throughout the year he has training sessions planned for players. He doesn't say much but he demands a lot, you know. As a player, your duty is to do your best for the coach and that's what we do at the club.
You've played for other clubs like Rangdajied United and Shillong Lajong in the I-League. How different is Bengaluru FC compared to the other clubs you have played for?
Bengaluru FC is a club that is very professionally run. The proof has been shown on the field in the last couple of years and it speaks volumes of how the club is run. And there is so much happening in the background – the club does a lot for the players. I've never been at such a club before.
You've come into the limelight this season thanks to some fantastic goals and even more crucial assists with your set-piece delivery. What gives you more joy? Scoring or taking those corners and free kicks that lead to goals?
I love to score goals, there is always more joy when scoring goals. But I also love it when you become a part of a goal you helped create. Ultimately, the team scores and that's what matters. There is joy when everyone scores – it doesn't matter who scores.
You were deployed as an Attacking Midfielder but you have also been asked to sit deep and do a lot of defending. Does that curb your attacking instincts?
No, as a midfielder it is your duty to help out the defenders. If you're only going to concentrate on attack, then you're better off being a striker. But if your team is under attack then you must help out in defence and then find a way to attack whenever and from wherever you can.
You finished the season with 8 goals and 16 assists and deservedly won the I-League Midfielder of the Year award. You also won the Bengaluru FC Fan's Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year. What is your next goal?
I have a lot of expectations for myself. But the main goal is to play well and do my best to help the club win the title. Last season we missed out on the title in the last four minutes. So next season we will do our best to achieve the title.
Speaking of losing the I-League title, where else did you feel Bengaluru FC lost the title? It was obviously heart-breaking to lose it in the final game against Mohun Bagan after you came so close.
The last game was in our hands. We could have won the league if we'd won that game but lost in the final four minutes. Apart from that, we lost points in Shillong when we should have won (Shillong Lajong held Bengaluru FC to a 1-1 draw when three points would have seen BFC top the table). Had we won that game, we would have had a good chance of retaining the title.
You also made your debut for India in the World Cup qualifiers. What did that feel like?
I was very happy when I got the call-up, I was so pleased. It has always been a dream to play for India and it was finally fulfilled. I can't express it, I was filled with joy and I have no words to describe the joy.
It was great singing the national anthem on the pitch in front of thousands of supporters in the stadium – it was a very emotional moment.
India didn't have a great start in the recent World Cup qualifiers, but do you think the team is slowly coming together ahead of the next set of matches? What is it like playing under coach Stephen Constantine?
It is a learning experience under Stephen Constantine. He also demands a lot from the players which is good to see. It is a new coach for this team (Constantine last coached India between 2002 and 2005) and a new system.
It's hard for the coach to get immediate results. Most of the players have just finished a long season and then turned up for the national team just a few days after. We hope to see a better performance when we play Iran next (India play Iran on 8 September in Bengaluru).
Ok, Eugene. We're going to have a rapid-fire round now and you must answer these questions as quickly as you can.
Who is your favourite player of all time?
I would have to say, Diego Maradona.
Favourite team?
Argentina.
What about club football? Who do you support?
Manchester United and Real Madrid. I am a big fan of David Beckham and followed Manchester United and then Real Madrid when he made the transfer (laughs).
Which is the best goal you have scored in your career so far?
It has to be the one I scored in the U-21 nationals against Punjab. I scored from the half-line!
Who is the funniest player at Bengaluru FC – the one who always plays pranks on the others?
John Johnson! It's one of the reasons why the team is so united because nobody has a negative attitude or ego when the joke is on them. They laugh along and take it in their stride.
And finally, what has been the best moment in your career so far?
It has to be when I was called up to the Indian national team.
Thank you for your time, Eugene. And all the very best for the World Cup qualifiers and the ISL season this year!
Thank you so much!
