Bengaluru: Andre Bikey, the new recruit to Indian Super League side FC Pune City from NorthEast United believes football is a learning process and practice is the most important thing.
The Cameroonian footballer who started his career with Spanish side Espanyol at the age of 15, has since been on the move. Bikey, who has played in Spain, Russia (Shinnik Yaroslavl and Lokomotiv Moscow) and England (Reading, Burnley), opens up about his experience in the ISL and Indian football.
“The ISL is definitely good for Indian football on the whole. The Indian players are getting a lot of exposure through the league, so it is helping the sport grow in the country. I believe for the football to grow in the country and for India to make it to the big stage, they should firstly definitely increase the league.
“The most important thing in football is practice. The league is really short. If they make it longer then the competition will increase, and more players from outside will come.
The players will get more match practice. It will benefit players and fans alike. Moreover, ISL allows the local players get a lot of exposure as they are playing alongside players from different countries, leagues. So, the first step towards making the game better is to make the league a longer one,” said the 31-year-old.
Bikey, who has travelled a lot and been a part of several leagues believes one is always evolving as a player.
“I have travelled across many countries, and many leagues. You always grow as a player since you are learning and adapting to different styles and discovering different techniques. It’s been a big learning process for me throughout and I am still learning here in India as well,” added the centre-half.
Being a part of ISL, the Cameroon international expressed his desire to play for the league for at least a few more years. “I enjoyed being a part of ISL last year and I am looking forward to this year. I hope to be a part of the league for a few more years at least.
“I bring to the table all my experience from all the leagues so that the players can learn from it and execute it on the field. But I also learn from these players. The playing condition here is different, the pitch is different, so I am also learning a lot from the league,” signed off Bikey, who loves the local food and exploring the country whenever he can get away from the field.
