Interview with Delhi Dynamos' Robin Singh: "I'm enjoying playing under Roberto Carlos"
He has scored three goals in this edition of the ISL, and recently scored the winner in the Indian national team’s first win in the World Cup Qualifiers. It is fair to say that Delhi Dynamos’ striker Robin Singh is on a high at the moment. Robin is no mood to slip. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Robin speaks about the bond he shares with his team-mates, his time at Bengaluru FC and the Indian National Team.
Hi Robin. You said in an interview to us before the auction that you’d love to play for Roberto Carlos. Now that it is happening, how has the experience been?
I grew up as a [Real] Madrid fan. So I was naturally attracted to Roberto Carlos. It has been terrific so far, and I’m enjoying my time here.
Okay, Madrid fan. So, today is not a great time to be talking to you, is it?
As long as we’re not talking about Madrid, it is fine.
Alright, you started off playing on the left flank. How did the transition to striker happen?
I started off as a left back. All through my formative years, I was among the bigger kids in class. And, I loved scoring goals. Even though I was a left-back, I was very attacking. Gradually, I was played further up the field. I always worked hard on my body. All my coaches worked hard on me.
You know, in India, there is this myth that we don’t like being strikers. In many ways, I want to show everyone that that is not true.
Growing up supporting Madrid and being a Left-Back, Roberto Carlos was naturally one you must have followed. Any other inspirations?
Carlos was definitely an inspiration. I was constantly in awe of the things he could do. Even now, I follow Madrid religiously, and take what I can from them. The person that Cristiano Ronaldo is, is unbelievable. But, as a striker, my favourite is [Karim] Benzema. I watch a lot of their videos. But, that doesn’t mean I ignore Messi. These guys are the best and I watch as much as I can to learn as much as possible from them.
Your career properly took of with you joining Bengaluru FC. Was it Ashley Westwood, or was it something else?
Ashley Westwood told me to keep things simple. To do things that all strikers do. To get into the box. And, that has worked wonderfully for me. Last season for Bengaluru FC, most of my goals were from within the box. I scored one goal in the AFC Cup from about 30 yards out, but all the other goals were headers or tap-ins. So, it just reassured me that my work-rate was good, and that I was doing the right things.
Does it help, from the national team’s perspective, that you play with Sunil Chhetri as often as you do?
There is a lot spoken that I play with Sunil a lot, but a lot of guys from Bengaluru FC play for the national team. So, I don’t see it as anything special. But, the national team is getting better. I’ve said over the last few months that given time, we would win games, and it was satisfying to be able to achieve that. The average age of this team is 26-27 – even lower if you take Sunil and [Subrata] out. So, we’re all at or soon getting to what is naturally considered the peak age for a footballer, and we hope the results will soon speak for themselves.
Sunil has been vocal about the support in Bengaluru. What do you make of the crowd at Kanteerava Stadium?
Kanteerava has always been amazing. It has been fantastic to play our qualifiers in front of them, especially the West Block Blues. Whatever the situation, they always turn up and sing their hearts out. So, it was terrific to win that game in front of the West Block.
Coming back to Delhi, you come into the ISL on the back of decent form for Bengaluru. Has that made any difference?
Look, Bengaluru FC taught me to work hard. I learnt there that with hardwork, anything could be achieved. I still remember, in the first season of Bengaluru, all of us were branded as the players who other clubs didn’t need. But we ended up winning the Championship. And that happened because we worked hard and stuck together as a group.
As a striker, it must be a wonderful experience to play alongside Florent Malouda...
Yes, it is. I share a very good friendship with him, and that is crucial to any sporting success. Not just Florent, all of us have wonderful relationships with each other. I strongly believe that a team that plays together has a greater chance of winning, and it has proved to be that way.
Apart from technical aspects, what have you learnt from the likes of Malouda, Carlos and John Arne Riise?
The higher you go, the more humble you get. All of them have won European Cups and achieved so much on the big stage, yet they are wonderful friends as well. I think the most important thing that I’ll take from them is that hardwork always pays off. None of them would have got here without that.
How would the Delhi Dynamos experience compare with Bengaluru FC?
No comparisons. But, the team environment at Delhi is unbelievable. If you see us in the dressing room, on flights, or even on the team bus, everyone is always joking around, and that has ensured a very healthy environment to work in. I’ll also say that it is hardly any different at Bengaluru FC.
Thank you Robin. It has been a pleasure talking to you. Good Luck!
Thank you so much!