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Bijoy Varghese got a taste of first-team football with Kerala Blasters last season. With the latest edition of the Indian Super League just around the corner, he is hungry for more. Sportskeeda sat down for an exclusive chat with the young defender to take his pulse.
There is perhaps nothing that gives Kerala Blasters fans more joy than seeing a local lad, one of their own, making it to the top. The support that Sahal Abdul Samad receives wherever he goes is testimony to it. Rahul KP knows that too.
It was no different when Bijoy Varghese made his Indian Super League bow for Kerala Blasters in their opener against ATK Mohun Bagan last season. Games being played behind closed doors due to the pandemic meant that there were no loud cheers for him but Malayali football lovers were all rooting for him.
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The centre-back racked up five league appearances for Kerala Blasters last campaign, helping them reach the final, which Ivan Vukomanovic's side lost to Hyderabad FC on penalties.
A bit wet behind the ears, his performances were far from perfect - 'bad' in his own words. Bijoy, though, did enough to earn Vukomanovic's trust and a new three-year deal from Kerala Blasters.
Having gotten a taste of senior football with Kerala Blasters last season, Bijoy is hungry for more. He goes into the new campaign with confidence flowing through each vein of his body and a heart full of hope.
But, make no mistake, as someone who has had to fight for and earn everything that he has achieved in life, his feet remain firmly on the ground.
Ahead of Kerala Blasters' season opener against East Bengal, Sportskeeda caught up with Bijoy to discuss an array of topics, including his targets for the new season, contract extension, new kit number, roots and more.
Q: You made your ISL bow for Kerala Blasters last year. How would you differentiate between last season's version of yourself and this term's?
Bijoy: I had long hair then, now I don't. That's the difference (laughs). It did not work out when I played in a ponytail last season. Let's see if it will make any difference when I play with shorter hair this term.
Jokes aside, I'm high on confidence this season. If I get a chance, I'll surely prove myself. 100%. Some fans may suggest I shouldn't play, let them say anything, I'm not bothered about it. Even if I play a match poorly, it won't affect my confidence.
My confidence is in my hands. I'm sure I'll prove myself one day and those who turn their backs on me will return. I'm not bothered if someone abuses me. My attitude is to turn my doubters into fans.
Q. As a newbie in the squad last season, you would have certainly faced difficult times. How do you reflect on your first season with the team? Who were the people who supported you when things got tough for you?
Bijoy: The one person who was always there to support me was Sanjeev [Stalin, who is now with Mumbai City FC]. I'm very close to him. He'd come to my room after matches and talk to me. Rahul, Sahalkka [Sahal], and Prasanthettan [Prasanth K, who recently joined Chennaiyin FC], all of them offered words of support on the team bus after the games.
But, back in my room, Sanjeev would talk to me about my game properly. He has played in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup [for India], he knows what he is talking about.
Then, of course, the coach [Vukomanovic], he would point out the mistakes I made on the ground. I have substantially improved my game now. If and when I get chances this season, I'm sure I'll perform two times better than I did last term, that's how confident I feel now.
Q: Not long after the 2021-22 season, a new deal came looking for you. How did the negotiations and the eventual contract signing come about?
Bijoy: I was on a reserve team contract last year. After the first match [against ATK Mohun Bagan], I was told I'd be given a new contract because my deal was running out at the end of the season. Karolis [Skinkys, the sporting director] contacted me, asking if I wanted to extend my deal, and I said yes. With my agent's help, I signed a new deal towards the end of the season.
My personal wish is to continue playing for Kerala Blasters. I'm not saying I don't like other clubs, I may have to move on in the future depending on my situation. But as someone from Kerala, I want to play for Kerala. I want to stay here. I don't want to go anywhere else.
Q: A three-year deal is long by Indian Football's standards. It is surely a sign of the club's trust in you. Did Kerala Blasters tell you what they expect from you when you signed the contract?
Bijoy: Kerala Blasters did not say anything like that, but I could feel that they trust me and have high hopes for me. I was happy to extend my contract for three years because this is my club. I didn't have to think long and hard about it, I just signed the deal.
Kerala Blasters is an emotion for me. I always used to watch Kerala Blasters' matches at home. I remember wanting to reach these heights but never expected that I would actually do it, that too with Kerala Blasters. It is a dream come true for me.
Q: You also changed your shirt number from No. 34 to No. 21. It was previously worn by former captain Sandesh Jhingan and Kerala Blasters even retired the number when he left. What made them give you the No. 21 kit?
Bijoy: That's a funny story, I can't resist laughing when I talk about it. The coach once asked me why I picked the No. 34 kit. I told him, 'I didn't pick it, Kerala Blasters gave it to me, my preferred kit number is 3.' And, the coach told me, 'I don't like you wearing No. 34, I want you to wear No. 21.' I thought he was pulling my leg like he often does.
Once he asked me seriously about the No. 34 kit. I said again that it was the number that Kerala Blasters gave me. I also told him that I started liking No. 34 because it was my kit number in my first season with the team. But the coach told me, 'You must definitely wear the No. 21 kit next season.'
I can't oppose the coach. If he tells me to play right-back instead of centre-back, I have to do that. Likewise, when the coach told me to take No. 21, I agreed. Eventually, Karolis asked if I had any problems switching to No. 21. I told him that I have no such issues and it is all up to Kerala Blasters. That's how that came about.
Q. Jhingan's relationship with Kerala Blasters may have deteriorated after his departure but he was still an important player for the team. As you now take on his No. 21 shirt, do you feel any sort of pressure?
Bijoy: I'm not bothered by it at all, it's just a number for me. My game won't improve just because I'm wearing that kit. It will do me good if I perform well, my jersey number has nothing to do with it.
The Kerala Blasters defender opens up on targets for the 2022-23 season
Q: Have you set yourself any targets as you head into your second season with the Kerala Blasters senior team?
Bijoy: I have no such targets. Everyone often tells me that I can score goals, especially from corners. I have only scored one goal for Kerala Blasters, that was when we went for pre-season in the UAE. Having now scored a goal, I now have the confidence and thirst to score more. If and when I get game time, I'll definitely try and score goals.
Then, of course, I want to defend well. My defending was 'bad' last season, I want to make it 'good' this time. They say winning and losing are part of the game but I don't want my team to lose. So, I want to do my job well in my position. I made plenty of mistakes last season, I must not repeat them this term. Last season is done and dusted, we have a new season now. I want to score goals, while also stopping them from going in.
Q: You would surely be keen to play more games after making five ISL appearances for the team last season. However, you have a significant amount of competition ahead of you. How do you perceive the tussle for a place in the starting XI?
Bijoy: I played five matches last season, I want to play way more this season, that's one of my targets. I will definitely work hard for that. I have no qualms about going up to people and clearing the doubts that I have. If I make a mistake in training this evening, I will make sure I don't repeat it tomorrow.
Like you said, there is strong competition in each position, it is a real challenge but we can't be bothered about it. We have to prove ourselves and earn our place in the team. I'll prove myself in training and earn my place in the starting XI. That's my aim.
We have strong competition across the team. There are four of us competing at centre-back - me, Hormi [Hormipam Ruivah], Victor [Mongil] and [Marko] Leskovic. We are all equally good and highly competitive. The coach doesn't consider seniority, he will play whoever plays well in training. It gives me the confidence to prove myself in training.
Q: You had the Indian national team's logo tattooed on your calf long before you made your debut for Kerala Blasters. Are you hopeful that your performances this season will earn you a call-up to the national team?
Bijoy: I've always wanted to play for the Indian national team. I received a call-up from the national team when I was playing in the I-League Under-18s. I received a call from Indian Arrows but I couldn't go due to some reason. I got the tattoo after that. I definitely want to play for the national team because I'm an Indian. It's not just me, everyone wishes to play for the national team.
I didn't feel deserving of a call-up last season. I'm not sure if I proved myself in the five games I played, I was sure I wouldn't be called up. But going into the new season, I have the hunger to earn that call-up. I want to play for the national team. If I get enough opportunities this season, I'll make that happen. That's my target.
Q. Nihal Sudeesh has replaced Chencho Gyeltshen as your roommate this season. You evidently have a good bond with Nihal. Please tell us about your friendship with him.
Bijoy: I’ve known him since my time playing [for SAI Thiruvananthapuram] in the I-League Under-18s. I think Nihal was at FC Kerala at the time. After that, we went our separate ways. I met him again after joining Kerala Blasters' B team in 2020.
That's when we started talking but then he joined the Indian Navy team. There was no such bond between us back then. We got close after I joined the B team again after the last ISL season. The bond eventually got stronger as we hung out more and now we're roommates.
He's young, he's just one year younger than me. So, I can talk to him openly, which I cannot do with a senior player. Chencho Bhai used to talk to me and advise me last year but I couldn't take much freedom with him. Whereas, I can even fight or quarrel with Nihal because he is the same age as me. We enjoy a lot, go out and so on, which I couldn't do last year.
I couldn't go out with Chencho Bhai last season because he is significantly more senior to me. It was a different experience indeed. I'm, of course, sad that he is no longer with the team, Sanjeev and Prasanthettan as well.
Q: You also seem to have taken 17-year-old Sreekuttan MS under your wing. Please tell us more about it.
Bijoy: He's friendly and quite funny too. He is from Thiruvananthapuram like me so I like talking to him. We got very close [after initially meeting while I was with the reserve team] and support each other now. The three of us [Bijoy, Nihal and Sreekuttan], as well as Sachin [Suresh], will be together wherever we go. Sachin and I have been close since we were in the senior team last season.
I'm not considered a senior anymore, we're all one group now. Others may see me as a senior but I don't consider myself to be a senior. We share a strong bond, I'm extremely happy to be with them as well.
Q: Nihal and Srekuttan have been a part of the Kerala Blasters senior squad throughout the pre-season. What can the fans expect from them?
Bijoy: Both of them are really good players. They are quick and adept at dribbling too. Every day after training, they come into the room and ask me if they did well. I was in their position last season. I tell them that God and the coach see what they are doing and they will get the result for their efforts.
They ask me tons of questions and won't let me sit peacefully in the room (laughs). But they are very serious when they get on the pitch.
Q. Going back to your roots, you wouldn't perhaps be where you are now without the support of some kind from the people of Pulluvila, your village. How do you express your gratitude towards them?
Bijoy: I really want to give back to my community. Yes, I've reached a certain height now but I still don't feel I've reached the level to be able to help my people. When I go home, I help them in whatever way I can, whether it be something as small as giving them a jersey. In some situations, I may not be able to help someone but I'll give them my word that I'll help them.
I want to support as many people as possible back home. I'll stay true to my word.
