East Bengal assistant, Tony Grant, has explained that he was impressed with the quality of Indian players on his first contact with them ahead of the new Indian Super League season.

Tony was hired alongside Liverpool Legend Robbie Fowler to take charge of East Bengal in their first season in the India Super League.

Fowler, formerly with Australian A-League side Brisbane Roar as a head coach, will be the Head Coach at East Bengal while Tony will serve as an assistant.

Tony, who was with Fowler as an assistant at Brisbane, stated that while the management brought in some players, the impression he got from Indian players after working with them is good.

“We have the quality that we have brought, and we know what they are really good at. Whereas, for Indian players, we have not worked with them before, but we have seen them as long as we could. So, we have an idea how they play. The first impression is really good, and we are really happy with the players that we have got,” Tony Grant said.

He stated further that the coronavirus lockdown had affected everyone in football, especially the two weeks quarantine period. Still, he says that the players are getting used to it and are not deterred as they are roaring to go on the pitch of play.

The 2020-2021 Indian Super League (ISL) will have 11 teams competing with the two main Kolkota clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal participating in the league for the first time.

Mohun Bagan, after winning the I-League last season merged with India Super League champions from last season ATK.

Meanwhile, East Bengal was only confirmed late for the ISL after confirming Shree Cements Limited as investors for the new season. This makes their preparations for the new season limited which Grant believes the team will find a way around.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu