Indian footballer Daniel Lalhlimpuia says that the country needs its fans behind the players to make the sport grow in the country. Daniel has played three matches for the Indian national team since making his debut in 2016 and currently is part of Malappuram FC for the Super League Kerala season. The forward, in a conversation with WION, also spoke about the significance of upcoming India matches against Brazil (October 3) and Uruguay (October 6). Below is the complete interview:You made your debut for India in 2016, and since then, you have played for multiple ISL teams in Odisha, Chennai, and now you are playing in the Super League Kerala. So, how is Kerala different from the rest of the country in terms of football culture?I think Kerala, from what I have seen right now, is one of the most passionate states for football in India. The fans here have made a big difference compared to other states, because the Kerala league has attracted so many fans. It's a great opportunity for the local boys and the young players to showcase their skills on this stage.How will state-based football leagues like the Super League Kerala help Indian football, and what impact do you see these kinds of leagues having on Indian football?This will help a lot, and the most important thing is to develop players from the grassroots. When you look at it, for example, now there are a lot of players here in Kerala who don't have a chance to go to the I-League or the ISL, but still, they need to develop. So, this is a great opportunity for the players here in Kerala to prove to themselves that they can do it at the next stage.So, this is the next step for the players who are in Kerala especially, to deliver a good performance in this Super League that will help get them to the I-League or even the ISL.What are your expectations from this season of the Super League Kerala?The expectation is very simple—to win the league. I just want to win this league for Malappuram FC and everyone at the club. Everyone, the players and the management, has worked so hard to achieve the target. These are my expectations from this season—to win the league with Malappuram FC.The Indian team is scheduled to play Brazil and Uruguay in the coming days. How do you think these matches against bigger teams will help Indian football?It will help a lot because the opportunity to play against a world champion and larger footballing nations doesn't come very often. I hope the players who are in the national team will take this opportunity and try to prove that India can also do it.Also, it's always better to play against a higher-ranked team to test ourselves and see where we really are. So, this is a great opportunity for the country, for the fans, and also for the players. I hope the boys will do well, fight, and hopefully, we will get a good result.What are your aspirations as far as your India career is concerned?If you ask me if my career could be better? Yeah, of course it could be. But until now, I am happy with my career and what I have done, because sometimes things don't go your way, like getting an injury or facing a few setbacks. But I would say that I don't want to look back on my career saying that I should have done that or I could have done more.The things that are in my hands, I give my 100 percent to, and the rest is out of my control. But the things that are in my hands, I try to control as much as I can and give 100 percent every single time so that I don't regret looking back at my career. And, as far as I'm concerned, I think I'm happy with my career.What do you think that we as a country should be doing more to help Indian football grow?I would say fan engagement, because the fans are a very big part of football. I can't even imagine football without fans, because the support from the fans is something that Indian football really needs. As a footballer, when thousands of fans—or even more—are behind you, then you are motivated automatically.

Indian footballer Daniel Lalhlimpuia highlights fan support as essential for growing the sport. Now playing for Malappuram FC, he also noted the significance of India’s upcoming matches against Brazil and Uruguay.

Indian footballer Daniel Lalhlimpuia says that the country needs its fans behind the players to make the sport grow in the country. Daniel has played three matches for the Indian national team since making his debut in 2016 and currently is part of Malappuram FC for the Super League Kerala season. The forward, in a conversation with WION, also spoke about the significance of upcoming India matches against Brazil (October 3) and Uruguay (October 6). Below is the complete interview: You made your debut for India in 2016, and since then, you have played for multiple ISL teams in Odisha, Chennai, and now you are playing in the Super League Kerala. So, how is Kerala different from the rest of the country in terms of football culture? I think Kerala, from what I have seen right now, is one of the most passionate states for football in India. The fans here have made a big difference compared to other states, because the Kerala league has attracted so many fans. It's a great opportunity for the local boys and the young players to showcase their skills on this stage. How will state-based football leagues like the Super League Kerala help Indian football, and what impact do you see these kinds of leagues having on Indian football? This will help a lot, and the most important thing is to develop players from the grassroots. When you look at it, for example, now there are a lot of players here in Kerala who don't have a chance to go to the I-League or the ISL, but still, they need to develop. So, this is a great opportunity for the players here in Kerala to prove to themselves that they can do it at the next stage. So, this is the next step for the players who are in Kerala especially, to deliver a good performance in this Super League that will help get them to the I-League or even the ISL. What are your expectations from this season of the Super League Kerala? The expectation is very simple—to win the league. I just want to win this league for Malappuram FC and everyone at the club. Everyone, the players and the management, has worked so hard to achieve the target. These are my expectations from this season—to win the league with Malappuram FC. The Indian team is scheduled to play Brazil and Uruguay in the coming days. How do you think these matches against bigger teams will help Indian football? It will help a lot because the opportunity to play against a world champion and larger footballing nations doesn't come very often. I hope the players who are in the national team will take this opportunity and try to prove that India can also do it. Also, it's always better to play against a higher-ranked team to test ourselves and see where we really are. So, this is a great opportunity for the country, for the fans, and also for the players. I hope the boys will do well, fight, and hopefully, we will get a good result. What are your aspirations as far as your India career is concerned? If you ask me if my career could be better? Yeah, of course it could be. But until now, I am happy with my career and what I have done, because sometimes things don't go your way, like getting an injury or facing a few setbacks. But I would say that I don't want to look back on my career saying that I should have done that or I could have done more. The things that are in my hands, I give my 100 percent to, and the rest is out of my control. But the things that are in my hands, I try to control as much as I can and give 100 percent every single time so that I don't regret looking back at my career. And, as far as I'm concerned, I think I'm happy with my career. What do you think that we as a country should be doing more to help Indian football grow? I would say fan engagement, because the fans are a very big part of football. I can't even imagine football without fans, because the support from the fans is something that Indian football really needs. As a footballer, when thousands of fans—or even more—are behind you, then you are motivated automatically.

Indian footballer Daniel Lalhlimpuia highlights fan support as essential for growing the sport. Now playing for Malappuram FC, he also noted the significance of India’s upcoming matches against Brazil and Uruguay.

'We need fans': Indian forward Daniel Lalhlimpuia calls for stadium support to grow football ahead of Brazil, Uruguay friendlies

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'We need fans': Indian forward Daniel Lalhlimpuia calls for stadium support to grow football ahead of Brazil, Uruguay friendlies