ISL 2017: FC Pune City's Kean Lewis speaks about tough time at Mohun Bagan due to Sony Norde

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Kean Lewis

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Kean Lewis turned 25 this year in September. The tricky winger has come a long way since his early days in Colaba, Mumbai playing in the second tier of the I-League. Over the course of the last two years, some would say Lewis has peaked -- given the kind of clubs he has played for -- Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan, Delhi Dynamos and now FC Pune City.

But not all was well during his time with Bagan. Lewis revealed that sitting on the bench for large parts of his stint was frustrating but he always well aware of the competition he was up against in fellow winger, Sony Norde, suggesting that he learnt a lot during his time spent with the Haitian.

"Sony is one my great friends and remains to this day but as professional athletes we were both competing for the same spot and throughout my Mohun Bagan career, I basically sat out because I had to compete with him. As a professional, we understand that. I was always second in line but I did learn a lot from him and used it at Delhi Dynamos," he explained

Lewis was one of Delhi's standout players last year in the ISL. Playing as a inverted winger, he ran riot across the opposition half. He was one of the few Indian attackers in the league who was willing to take on the defender in a one-on-one situation. At the moment, the Indian senior football team lacks a tricky winger too. Asked about his expectations for a call up, Lewis is hopeful it will come sooner rather than later.

"The national team selection is up to the coach Stephen Constantine. It's my job to fulfill any duty that the coach requires from me. My duty lies with FC Pune City. Many people talk about it, if I deserve or not, I cannot comment on it. God willing, I will have my opportunity," he said.

The winger reckons it's high time Indian players shoulder the burden of responsibility for their respective teams. It was decided that there would be a maximum cap of only five foreign players in the starting eleven and as a result, how a team performs will largely depend on how the Indians contribute.

"There is a lot of responsibility on the Indians now, especially because we have a young team. They are motivated, plus we have 4-5 senior players who have played at the top level. The young guys are learning but it's an everyday process," he signed off.

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