Pune Football Club midfielder Arata Izumi is a confident and positive player and has seen the Club through highs and lows during his long five-year stay in Pune.
Having been named as a skipper for the first time ever, punefc.com caught up with Arata for a quick chat ahead of the Durand Cup.
Excerpts;
How important is it to be the captain of the team?
Yes; definitely it’s very important. But first, I would like to thank the Club and the Coach for giving me this opportunity to lead the side in this Durand Cup. As an individual player and as a captain, I think there is a limit to what you can do. What I am doing already, is asking other players to help me to help the team and try to give the best performance. Probably, I am the captain, but there will be eleven or may be eighteen leaders on the pitch including the dugout. So, I think my job will not be that difficult.
Is it the first time you have been named as a captain of the team?
At professional level, yes, this is the first time.
As a captain, how do you look forward to the Durand Cup?
The Durand Cup is a very important tournament for us. This is the first official tournament for Pune FC in the 2014-15 season and we are prepared for it. One of our biggest aims this season is to win a title. Coach Karim Bencherifa is motivating us constantly to be a champion team and moreover the players are also understanding his philosophy and his way of thinking. So definitely, we are on a right track to go for a title.
Is a being a captain of the team a long cherished dream?
Yes, I have wanted to be captain for some time now, since I have also become one the senior players at Pune FC. And I am very happy that I could get this opportunity, and like I said I really appreciate the Club and Coach who gave me this opportunity.
