ISL 2020-21: I want to be top scorer, says Mumbai City FC's Vikram Pratap Singh
Vikram Pratap Singh, Mumbai City FC's 18-year-old striker, has said that he wants to become the top goal scorer in the ISL.
Singh had a breakthrough season in the 2019-20 I-League, where he played for youth development side Indian Arrows. He said that owing to various foreign exposure trips he was part of with the Indian U-16 side, he has become a more mature player.
"Firstly, I want to make my debut for the senior national team. At the club level, I want to compete against the best -- the likes of Sunil Chhetri bhai and the foreign strikers. I need to prove that I can perform well and even beat them," Singh said in an Instagram live interview from the official Indian football team account.
"I want to prove myself that I can perform well and beat them and become a top scorer in the Hero Indian Super League," he added.
I want to be top scorer, says Vikram Pratap Singh
Singh was part of the team that reached the quarter-final stage of the AFC U-16 championships in 2018, and scored a crucial penalty against Vietnam in the group stage to give his team three points.
Talking about being a part of that group, Singh said: "I feel that the maturity level has gone up because of the numerous exposure tours we got, thanks to the federation. We got to play against so many top-level countries, which has made a big impact on me."
"Our batch has been lucky to play against strong teams from Asia, Europe and Africa. Initially, we used to be under pressure when we started playing at International level and there would be slight hiccups. But, due to the continuous exposure and opportunities to face top countries we learnt how to calm ourselves and perform better. Now, we go into every game with a positive mindset to do our best, no matter who we are playing against," he added.
Singh scored four goals in the 2019-20 I-League season, and was signed by Mumbai City FC for a fee of ₹50 lakh. He is capable of playing any position across the attacking third, and bases his game around quick decision-making and speed.