"I think I will score a lot of goals" - Chennaiyin FC forward Vincy Barretto exudes confidence ahead of 2022-23 ISL season

Chennaiyin FC forward Vincy Barretto is confident of hitting the ground running in his first Indian Super League (ISL) season with the club.

Following a run to the 2021-22 ISL final with the Kerala Blasters, Barretto chose to switch to another premier South Indian side this summer. He joined the Marina Machans on a three-year deal running until 2025.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Vincy Barretto revealed that he believes he will find the back of the net plenty of times next season. The 22-year-old notably scored twice in 17 matches last season as the Tuskers finished as runners-up to Hyderabad FC. Barretto said:

"I think I will score a lot of goals and give my best for the team. Last season, I thought to myself that I had to do my best for the team. When we are together, then everything comes together."

He added:

"If I don't score, I can still help my team - if they pass to me, I'll score and if I pass to them, they'll score."

Chennaiyin FC will be Barretto's third club in as many seasons after his stints with the Kerala Blasters and Gokulam Kerala (2020-21 I-League). With pre-season only just kicking off, the Goan forward stated that he is yet to fully settle in at his new club:

"I need time first because I'm new here but everyone is here and I'm a new face in the team. Everything will be fine as I get more time with the team."

He added:

"We just started training but I think, after the 2-3 months of pre-season is done, everything will be better. I feel the coach is a very good person who supports and treats everyone equally."

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Chennaiyin FC's Vincy Barretto praises Anirudh Thapa, Rafael Crivellaro

Chennaiyin FC have endured a bit of a makeover this summer. Aside from Vincy Barretto, they have added multiple other players, including Fallou Diagne, Vafa Hakhamaneshi, Sourav Das, Mohammed Rafique and Alexander Romario Jesuraj.

However, two names on the roster particularly stand out due to their service to the club. Captain Anirudh Thapa has entered his seventh year with the Marina Machans, while 33-year-old Rafael Crivellaro will enter his fourth. The latter notably missed the entire 2021-22 ISL season due to an injury.

When asked who he looks up to in his new team, Barretto unsurprisingly named the duo, saying:

"Yeah, Thapa from the national team, a very good, experienced player, and Rafael also. He's played at a very high level and it's good for me to learn from them and improve myself as a player."

The Goan also provided some insight into the nature of Chennaiyin FC's dressing room under new coach Thomas Brdaric:

"There are no seniors [or juniors here]. Everyone talks with everybody else and they are all open here. No one sits alone and everyone sits together."

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"They are at different levels" - Chennaiyin FC forward Vincy Barretto on differences between ISL and I-League

Prior to his run to the ISL 2021-22 final, Vincy Barretto enjoyed a fruitful spell with I-League giants Gokulam Kerala. The winger played 12 times and laid out an assist as the side lifted the 2021 I-League title.

Having gained some experience in both of India's premier leagues, Barretto believes the ISL provides a steeper learning curve for players. The Chennaiyin FC forward said:

"They are at different levels. Here [in the ISL], there are a lot of national team players and foreigners who played in some big tournaments. Here, we can learn with them, experience ourselves becoming better players and [hope to] play for the national team."

Part of the learning curve was going up against established players who make life difficult for younger players like Vincy Barretto. Asked who were the toughest opponents he came up against in the ISL last season, he responded:

"One guy was Ashique [Kuruniyan, Bengaluru FC]. I'm a quick player and when I tried to break [with the ball], he saw it. Another was Peter [Hartley] of Jamshedpur FC. I think he was really tough [to face]."

Barretto will hope to hit the ground running at Chennaiyin FC, who will travel to Kolkata for a couple of pre-season friendlies. They will then participate in the Durand Cup, where they have been pitted against Hyderabad FC, NEROCA FC, TRAU FC and Army Red in Group C.