It was easier in AFC U-23 qualifiers since we all have played together in the past: Akash Mishra

Hyderabad FC had an exemplary second season in the Indian Super League (ISL). The Nizams will be gunning to qualify for their first-ever play-offs in the upcoming ISL season.

They provided several young Indian stars including Mohammad Yasir, Akash Mishra, Liston Colaco, Asish Rai, Rohit Danu and Hitesh Sharma among others.

Sportskeeda got up-close and personal with Akash Mishra in an exclusive chat. He talked extensively about his growth as a footballer right from his days at Indian Arrows to signing for Hyderabad FC in the ISL. Here are the edited excerpts:

Q. Tell us about your playing journey so far from your school days to Hyderabad FC?

My journey from my time in school to joining Hyderabad FC has been like a dream for me. There were lots of ups and downs but there was a lot to learn as well. There were plenty of exciting and memorable moments throughout this journey and I hope this continues in the future as well. I will work as hard as I can to keep it that way.

Q. What role did U Dream Academy play in your youth career? Tell us about your youth football years.

Like I always say, joining U Dream was a real turning point in my career. It gave me a chance to travel to Germany from Lucknow and there, my football style changed for the better.

I was an average player before going there and most of what I know now, I learnt in Germany. So I have to give a lot of credit to U Dream academy and I hope academies like these prosper and help youngsters like me improve knowledge of the game and skill together.

Q. You have represented India in the Youth Championships as part of the U18 team. How different are International Youth Competitions than domestic youth competitions?

Yes, I was part of the U18 side and I believe there is a lot of difference in competition and quality between the two. Domestic games have two three players who play for the national team but when you play teams from other countries you usually face the best XI of that country and that makes a huge difference in the quality. So yes, international competitions are slightly tougher.

Akash Mishra at Indian Arrows in the I-League.

Q. Tell us about your years as being part of the Indian Arrows.

The Arrows helped me a lot. I spent two years there and there was so much to learn. They are a part of the reason for who I am today. I learned a lot of stuff on and off the field as well, training with some quality players. But regular game time, in a competition like the I-League, was probably the biggest way in which the Arrows helped me improve.

Q. Why do you think Hyderabad FC scouted you right from Arrows? Were you expecting an ISL call at such a young age?

You should be asking that to the scouts at the club.

On a serious note, I was not really waiting for a callup from an ISL club yet. I was still in the I-League and was focused on my game and my team. But the call up came and I spoke to the coaches and management at HFC, and what they told me convinced me to join.

So there was no doubt in my mind and I joined the club at the end of that season. I am proud to have made that decision and moved on at that point in my career.

Q. Manuel Marquez has pegged you as the upcoming best left-back of India and you are being talked about a lot in the media. How are you dealing with such an early rise to fame?

There is always a lot being said about any player who does well but I believe that it is on that particular individual who chooses to react in his own way. I remember coach Manolo coming up to me in training and discussing this exact point.

He explained to me that it was not the time for me to lose focus and reminded me of how much more I have to learn and taught me to stay grounded even with all the talk in the media.

He also explained how that is a decisive moment in a youngster's career and how to not let these things affect you. That will stick with me for the rest of my life and I will be able to keep social media away from my game.

Q. If you're not a left-back, which other positions would you prefer to play?

A centre-back, probably with No 4 on my back!

Q. Hyderabad FC fell short of the play-offs despite having a wonderful season. How would you assess the season for your club and for you as an individual player?

As a club we had a wonderful season and for me personally, it was even better. But for me, it was always about the team. You could see that everyone was giving their 100% every game and were fully committed.

It was disappointing not to qualify for the playoffs but that is football and now we are ready for next season. We are more focused now and ready to grab our chances this time around.

Q. How difficult has it been for players to train and keep fit after the ISL due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

For me, it was really difficult. I know a few players who got to train in the off-season but where I was from was under complete lockdown. No gyms or grounds to play in. Whatever I wanted to do, I had to do on my terrace.

So I did everything I could to stay in the best shape possible for the pre-season. But that is all behind us now and we are only focused on reaching the first game at 100%

Q. What are the areas the club is working at the moment to make it all the way to the play-offs in the current season?

Currently we are still in pre-season and trying our best to improve every day. We are also working on team tactics but are not really looking too far ahead in the season.

Right now we are fully focused on getting stronger as a team and will probably only take the season one game at a time. Of course we want to take the next step and will work really hard for it but now is not the time to be thinking too far ahead.

Q. How was the experience of the AFCU23 Asian Cup qualifiers campaign?

It was a huge learning curve for me. The squad was full of players we played with in the past so it was a bit easy to play together as a team. These combinations and team bonds really helped us a lot throughout the campaign.