Sreenidi Deccan goalkeeper Aryan Lamba has a dream of playing for the national team at the top level. Lamba was given the onus by head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto against East Bengal in the Kalinga Super Cup on 14th January.

The lanky custodian revealed he wanted to give his best for the club and stand tall to the challenge which was given by the gaffer.

“At such times, the best thing a player can do is stay calm and focused. Yes, there are nerves, and there is also the anxiety of what the future holds, but thankfully, I was calm and managed to ward the threat away from our defence,” Lamba said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda.

East Bengal went on to win that game by 2-1 but Lamba impressed with his performance as he made some vital saves throughout the game.

“Yes, that performance did give me a lot of confidence, and I was happy to have contributed to the team’s cause,” Lamba continued. “It was important for me to stay switched on till the final moments of the game, and thankfully, it helped my cause on that day. I had to react quickly to ward those shots away from the target, and since I was switched on and focused, I could do it without much fuss.”

Lamba added that working hard has helped him reap rewards and he wants to keep improving at the top level.

“Working hard in training has reaped its rewards, that is all I can say. There are a lot of specifics that we work upon in training, and when they come to fruition in a match, it makes me very happy,” Lamba added.

“I wish to keep giving such performances every time I walk out onto the pitch for my club. I want to contribute to my team’s cause as much as possible and push them towards winning the I-League so that we can get promoted into the ISL next season. And just like any other boy playing football, I want to wear the blue jersey of the national team one day,” he elaborated.

Sreenidi Deccan will next face the Churchill Brothers in the I-league on 4th February.