ISL 2022-23: I want to perform to better than previous season – Kiyan Nassiri

ATK Mohun Bagan rising star Kiyan Nassiri wants to perform better in the upcoming season than the previous edition of the Hero ISL. Nassiri had hogged the limelight in the previous season as he is the son of former legendary player Jamshid Nassiri.

Kiyan was able to impress with his play and did a fine job for the Mariners. The youngster had scored a fine hat-trick in the Kolkata derby and had grabbed the headlines.

The 21-year-old is looking forward to a longer season in Indian football and he will aim to grab his chances under the tutelage of Juan Ferrando.

Shedding light on how his life changed after scoring the hat-trick against East Bengal, Nassiri said while talking to the official website of ISL, “Since January 29, 2022, after the Kolkata Derby, I think for me personally only a few aspects have changed. I still do the same things I would before. I am definitely more grateful to my team, our supporters and the club for all the love and support they showered on me. I also feel that now I must work harder and do better each day because I want to do better than I did last season. When it comes to the opponents preparing better for me, I just feel that now they recognise me when I’m on the field, which is always a great feeling to have.”

Nassiri had shone bright whenever he was given the opportunity to play under pressure. The youngster added he cherishes performing for his team in crunch situations.

He added, “Of course, I enjoy it. This is what I’m here to do. I’m here to play. I’m here to show the coach and team that if I work hard and can gain their faith to put me on the field I will give it my all each time, all the time. It is my responsibility to play under this pressure and I hope I can carry that out well. For me now, the bar is set higher and I am going to have to push harder.”

Speaking about his targets for the next season, the winger added that his aim is to improve himself and deliver the goods for his team.

He concluded, “I feel like every day is a chance for me to excel and evolve while being true to the game and my team. So my target for this season would be to work harder, be better and grow as a player. Playing more competitive games at different tournaments I believe would be extremely beneficial to me because I hope to get more game time here and adjust with the team and play more efficiently together for the season to come. A longer season also gives us time to recover and learn from any mistakes we might make, so I’m certain it’ll be a good, long season ahead.”