Jamshedpur FC's Mohammed Sanan is a footballer on the rise.
Be it the first ISL he goal scored against defending champions Mohun Bagan or the way he manipulated the game in his side's favor against Shillong Lajong on Saturday, anyone with a keen eye can see why he is earmarked as a potential India player.
In the Kalinga Super Cup being held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, he has been one of the vital cogs in the wheel for Jamshedpur FC.
The Kerala youngster has been at the forefront of newly appointed head coach Khalid Jamil's plans, giving the latter a lot of variety both through the wings and in the heart of the Red Miners' attack.
Although he got only limited game time, one can expect that to increase in the knockout stages.
Sanan, soft-spoken, as always, chatted exclusively to Sportskeeda on Jamshedpur FC's chances in the Super Cup as well as his dreams in football.
"I am very happy to have scored against Shillong Lajong, but most important was the three points, and fortunately, we got them. We are playing really well in this tournament, and hopefully, we can continue that going ahead. All the others in our team are excellent players, and I am very fortunate to get the opportunity to play with them," said Sanan.
"Coach Khalid Jamil has given me a lot of confidence and I know that I have to work hard. I want to keep training hard to improve my game and help my team going ahead. The atmosphere at the club is extremely positive and it helps me focus on my game. My dream is to wear the India jersey and score for the country," he added.
Sanan is an exciting prospect for the Indian national team in the future
Sanan knows very well that although he has got off to a good start in his young career, he needs to work extremely hard to break into the Indian team.
For the moment, his time in the Jamshedpur first team is limited to when the seniors are rested or being rotated. His immediate goal will be to break into the first team and become a regular starter.
Coach Jamil, who was appointed by the Red Miners after Scott Cooper was sacked, has been phenomenal for them and led them to the semifinals of the Kalinga Super Cup where a hungry East Bengal await them.
Jamil knows that he has a special talent in his hands in Sanan and that he has to be careful in grooming him.
A lot depends on how the coaching staff at Jamshedpur FC deals with the 19-year-old to prepare him for the next level.