New Delhi, Sep 23 : Indian football fans have not had much to cheer for the team after the side's untimely exit from the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers earlier this year. The team went on to finish last in the Intercontinental Cup and scored only one goal from open play in 2024. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Lallianzuala Chhangte has promised the Indian fans that the team will ''play their hearts out" and urged the countrymen to support the side in such times.

"To all the fans out there, please don't stop believing in us, in Indian football as well. Please remember this. We will never take playing for the national team for granted. We will play our hearts out. We will give everything. Yeah, of course, we can't promise you that we will win every match, but you'll see that we will give everything for the country. So that is my promise to you, to each and every one who loves Indian football,' Chhangte told IANS on Monday.

"You need a little bit of time under the new coach as well. You have to know what the game plan is, what he wants you to or how he wants you to play. So it takes a little bit of time, but I think we are in the right direction. I strongly believe that we will come back stronger," he added.

The 2024 is be a significant year for Indian football. Not only has the nation seen the departure of Igor Stimac, who had a five-year tenure as head coach of the senior men's team, but also saw the retirement of Sunil Chhetri, perhaps the greatest player to ever represent the nation.

With the entire country looking for their next hero, many fingers point towards the 27-year-old forward Chhangte, who won the AIFF Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year. He went on to speak on the added pressure that comes from their captain's departure.

"When you do well for the club and the country, expectations are going to be high. Much higher and higher every single game and every single season. So that is normal as a player. And you have to deal with it and adapt to it. So for me, I think I don't take external pressure too much. I have my own expectations, which are way higher than what anyone expects from me,' said the Mumbai City FC captain.

Chhangte also received some high praise from one of India's most experienced players Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The Indian goalkeeper compared Chhangte's footballing ability to that of former Dutch forward Arjen Robben. The striker stated that such compliments urge him to work harder.

"One of my friends sent me that video. I think it was Gurpreet, who said that. He's a player that I've been looking up to since I joined the national team camp back in 2015. He was one of the players who guided me and he is a mentor for me until today as well. I think it's a huge statement and I really do appreciate it. But most importantly, you know, these compliments give me the urge, the motivation to work even harder. And, yeah, this gives me a lot of energy to do even better," he concluded.

/IANS