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Rajasthan United FC have grabbed plenty of eyeballs with their defensive performances in their debut I-League season. Francesc Bonet's men have conceded just eight goals so far in their 12 matches in the first phase, the lowest in the league.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Mauro dos Santos, Pedro Manzi, and Omar Ramos have been the talk of the town for their performances. But the newcomers have felt more like a cohesive unit on display, with all the players working together, rather than an amalgamation of players flaunting their individual brilliance.
Like in any well-oiled machine, you need all the cogs in the team to be synchronized, whether it's the big guns or those team players who slot into any position irrespective of the situation of the game. One such conventional "team player" that RUFC have stumbled upon on their I-League journey is -- Melroy Melwin Assisi.
On loan from Chennaiyin FC, the 23-year-old has played in multiple positions for the Jaipur-based club whenever called upon. In his six appearances for the club so far this season, Melroy has slotted into the center-back spot, played as a defensive midfielder and also in central midfield. The youngster hasn't learned to shy away from challenges.
Growing up in Vasai-Virar, a municipality on the outskirts of Mumbai, Assisi didn't have the best of opportunities to dwell in the game of football. The only club from the city then plying their trade at the national level was Mumbai FC. Melroy had always dreamt of playing for the local club before finally breaking into their youth setup.
But his footballing journey only grew tougher. Mumbai FC were dissolved in 2015 and while he was in search of his next club, the youngster had multiple doors slammed closed. He was playing for Union Bank of India at the time and was supposed to sign with the Mumbai City FC reserves team. However, the plan to build a reserve side fell through in its initial phase.
But as cliched as it may sound, if nothing else, rejections do build character. And it has molded Melroy into a tough bloke on and off the field. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the youngster revealed that although not making it into Rajasthan United FC's starting lineup bothers him, he has filled his mind space with positive thoughts and is always ready to prove his worth whenever called upon.
Throughout the interaction, Melroy's love for football in Mumbai was a recurring theme and he shared his thoughts about the growth of the sport in the city. The defender also averred that he never had any inhibitions or doubts about joining a debutant outfit like Rajasthan United.
Here are excerpts from the interaction Sportskeeda had with RUFC's Melroy Assisi:
"We could have finished Phase 1 in a better position" - Melroy Assisi on Rajasthan United's performance in the I-League
Question: Firstly, if you could talk about your initial days in football. What got you into the game?
Melroy: I used to play football on the streets and in our society compound with the local boys. I come from a region that is on the outskirts of Mumbai (Vasai-Virar) where football isn't acknowledged at that level. I started taking more interest in football after getting into the school's U-14 side.
There was no exposure for the players, but we were lucky to have Rudolph Dcunha as our coach. He was the one who introduced us to Mumbai football. I used to travel four hours to train since my school days for club/sub-junior national selections. I made it into the Maharashtra sub-junior team at the age of 14. After my schooling, I got into the Mumbai FC youth team after a month of trials. I always wanted to play for Mumbai FC because it was the only local club I knew at the time.
Q: At what point during your amateur journey did you decide to take up the sport professionally?
Melroy: It (to play football) has been my dream since childhood. But it got a boost after I got into the state team and Mumbai FC youth setup. Then I knew I wanted to make football my profession. I tried playing cricket in my school days as it was my father's dream to become a cricketer, but eventually, I didn't find interest in the sport.
Q: I wanted to ask you about the influence and support you have received from your parents during your footballing journey.
Melroy: My parents have always supported me since childhood, they used to come for my training, and watch my games. I had an incident during the sub-junior nationals where I wasn't allowed to play because I was born in Dubai and had a UAE birth certificate. My father had to travel all the way from Mumbai to Pune (where the tournament was held) with my passport and other documents. There have been a lot of ups and downs and obstacles in my journey so far and they've always been there for me.
Q: Melroy, you’ve played in multiple positions, as a center-back, as a defensive midfielder, but where do you feel most comfortable playing?
Melroy: As of now my preferred position is center-back. But I'm comfortable playing both positions. If you ask me where I enjoy playing the most, it's as a defensive midfielder. You receive most of the balls in midfield whether it be tackling, aerial duals, or passing.
Q: Mumbai hasn’t traditionally been a footballing powerhouse, however, lately, there’s been a rapid rise in the footballing culture. Could you talk about the differences that you see in the city now from the time you started playing?
Melroy: Mumbai is a cricket-loving city. If you talk about football culture, yes it has grown over the years but it still cannot be compared to states like Kerala and Kolkata. Mumbai is a fast city and the people here love sports and football is one of them. When I started playing, Mumbai FC was the only team from the state playing at the national level. Now we have a lot of teams coming up who want to play in professional leagues and we have Mumbai City FC, which is one of the biggest clubs in the country.
Q: Seemingly when you arrived at Chennaiyin FC, it was the big break in your professional career, but could you talk about your journey before that?
Melroy: When Mumbai FC shut down, a lot of young players from Mumbai didn't have a club to play for. I wanted to leave Mumbai but had no guidance. After a couple of years at Mumbai FC, I joined Union Bank of India, which plays the Mumbai Elite League, and continued with Union Bank for another season.
Later during the season, I was scouted at the RFYS college tournament by Chennaiyin FC and I went on to give a trial after a few months. The trials took place for a month or so and I was finally named in the Durand Cup squad, I signed for the reserves. By the end of the season because of Covid-19, we were sent home early and everything was under lockdown. it was a very difficult phase for me and many other players too as they were out of contract.
After a few months, I signed for ARA FC for the I-League qualifiers and traveled to Kolkata for the league. But unfortunately couldn't play a single game because I tested positive for the virus and was sent home. Later I had also traveled to Kashmir for the Real Kashmir Cup and it was sort of a trial for me for the first team. I played a game for their reserves and again I was unfortunate because of the heavy snowfall the league had to be canceled. I came back to Mumbai and played a few tournaments here and there to maintain my fitness. The following year, on July 1, I signed for Hyderya FC, a Kashmir-based club for I-League Zone 2 qualifiers.
Q: How was your time at Chennaiyin FC and why did you make the switch to Rajasthan United?
Melroy: I was having a good time at Chennaiyin FC, everything was top-notch. The management and the coaches wanted me to get some playing time and they decided to send me to an I-League club in the January window, to which I agreed to as a player. The move was pretty simple to get some game time and experience and I knew Rajasthan United were fielding a good side and I prefer the Spanish style of football, so yeah it was also a reason to move to RUFC.
Q: Rajasthan were making their debut in the league, so did you ever have doubts about signing for the club?
Melroy: All eyes were on Rajasthan united as they'd already made a few big announcements, I had no doubts about signing with the club and everything was positive from the start.
Q: Coming to this season, Rajasthan United secured the Top 7 spot in the final Phase 1 game. The team has conceded the least goals and lost just two games in their debut season. What has the experience been like?
Melroy: I feel we could have finished Phase 1 in a better position, we dropped a lot of points against the bottom table teams. We have a solid side with a good defense. We were positive about the qualification from the start but we were expecting better results anyway, it was a good experience as we qualified for the championship and will definitely do better further on.
Q: But it wasn’t always easy. Right in the first game, the team had to play with nine players. And then the COVID outbreak happened. What was going through your head at that time?
Melroy: Yes, we had to play the first game with nine players because of some registration issue. But we still put on a good show against a side like RoundGlass Punjab and we are all proud of those players who fought hard that night. We all were pumped up for the next game but because of the outbreak, we were sent home. I was just thinking of getting back soon with the team and resuming the matches.
Q: When the league was postponed after just a single round of fixtures, I am curious about what the players were going through with all the doubt and confusion surrounding the league?
Melroy: We all were told before leaving, that the league is going to happen. But because of the rise in the cases, players weren't sure about it. We're kind of scared that if it didn't happen, the whole season would go to waste. Anyway, we got time to rebuild our team and some time for preseason.
Q: What has it been like to work with head coach Francesc Bonet?
Melroy: Francesc Bonet is a coach who likes his team to control the game. He basically prefers the Spanish style of football, which I sure like to play. We don't have pressure from the coach on the field and the players love that freedom and are performing well. He is one of the youngest coaches in the league and is very friendly with the players.
Q: You’ve had a couple of substitute appearances, some matches on the bench, then you suffered an injury, so you haven’t been a regular starter. Does the lack of minutes bother you?
Melroy: Yes, it does bother me, but the team is performing well. It's difficult for a coach to make changes in the starting eleven when the team is performing. I don't like to warm the bench, but you have to accept things and you never know when the team needs you.
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Q: I wanted to know how difficult it’s for a player, mentally, when they aren’t starting games regularly, especially when you’re playing inside a bio-bubble and often alone with your own thoughts.
Melroy: Yes, the bubble has made things difficult. It is important to stay mentally fit. Sometimes, yes, you expect you'll be starting the next game and you don't. It does affect the player but in the end, you've got to accept things the way it is and respect the coach's decision and keep a positive mindset. You train hard, prove yourself and get back in the eleven. But yeah, it is difficult for a player who's not playing to just train and get zero game time.
Q: With the Championship Playoffs coming, what is the mood like in the camp, and what are realistic goals the team has for the upcoming matches?
Melroy: The mood in the camp is very positive. We want to take each game at a time and get the maximum out of it. We'll try to win all the games in the championship stage.
We'll be facing the best teams in the league again and it'll be a good fight and a good experience playing in the championship stage.
Q: With Mauro Dos Santos, Omar Ramos, Pedro Manzi, Sardor Jakhonov, Rajasthan has a capable foreign unit. What does it feel like to work with these players?
Melroy: All our foreigners have great capabilities, Mauro and Omar have played in La Liga and bring a lot of experience into the side. When it comes to Pedro Manzi, people in India already know him for his stints with different clubs and what quality he has. Sardor is new to the league and he has already proved himself by scoring a few goals in the league. It's really good to play with them.
Q: For the playoffs, AIFF has announced that fans will be allowed inside the stadiums. What do you feel about that, playing in front of fans after so many years?
Melroy: It's always good to play in front of the fans, no one likes to play in an empty stadium. Football isn't complete without the fans, they're important and a part of the game. It's been two years since the stadiums were shut for the spectators, I hope people come in great numbers to watch the games. And it is Kolkata, so spectators are expected. It is difficult for the fans to travel from Rajasthan to Kolkata, but I'm sure they will support us from home as they've already shown their love for the players on social media.
Q: You’ve spoken very passionately about Mumbai and its footballing culture throughout the interview. What do you feel about seeing a club like Kenkre FC represent the city in the I-League?
Melroy: It is good to see a team come up from Mumbai in the I-League. It's been years since Mumbai FC was shut down and Kenkre FC is the first team to participate in the I-League after them. Except for Mumbai City FC, there were no teams playing in the top leagues from the city. With Kenkre FC coming in, many players from Mumbai will now get an opportunity to prove themselves. They're at the bottom of the table as of now, but I'd like to wish them good luck in the playoffs and hope they do well.
Q: Going forward Melroy, do you have aspirations to play in the Indian Super League?
Melroy: Of course, I want to play in the ISL, but as of now I cannot discuss anything about my future.
Q: A short message for the Rajasthan United FC fans…
Melroy: Keep supporting us and do come watch us play at the stadium if possible.
