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NorthEast United FC's 20-year-old star Parthib Gogoi has said that the team is a "surprise package" and is going to surprise a lot of teams in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Born in Assam, Gogoi grew up supporting the Highlanders. Frequenting their matches at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati was a norm as he dreamt of representing them in the ISL one day. "Playing for NorthEast United FC is a dream come true for me. It's a huge thing for me. My parents saw a dream for both of us brothers (Pragyan Gogoi and him) to play in the same team. Whenever fans chant my name, it encourages me to do better. Because I used to be one of those fans and watch the matches of our club. So, it's a lovely feeling and experience altogether," Gogoi said, according to a release. Beaming high on confidence, Gogoi has earmarked his side's ambitions for the season. He strongly believes that the Highlanders will be the underdogs who will spring a surprise against stronger opponents in ISL 2023-24. They triumphed over Chennaiyin FC 3-0 at home and the young winger is confident that many more such inspiring performances are in the line for them in the coming months. On an individual level, Gogoi has already equalled his goal-scoring record of last season by netting thrice in this campaign. "I have said that we are a surprise package and we are going to surprise a lot of teams. We will keep giving our 100 per cent in all the games. I am very happy with my performances. I am only focusing on the next game. The coach has been inspiring me to just keep on playing well and not stopping anytime soon," he said. "I would like to thank all the support staff for their help; without whom I would not have performed so well. I give them all the credit for this. I was injured during the off-season. I was rehabilitating for most of the time. As soon as I recovered, I began working on my shooting abilities. I enhanced my fitness levels. When the pre-season began, the coach instructed me to work on certain factors and I began developing them and I am continuing to work on them," he added. Head coach Juan Pedro Benali is optimistic about Parthib's future but he has cautioned fans to not get too ahead of themselves already. He believes that the player has a long way to go before becoming a finished product and has hence encouraged supporters to be patient and not burden him with expectations straightaway. "I will tell you something very important. This gentleman (Parthib) here is a very young guy. He is just starting here. We have stairs to go. We cannot jump to the fourth stair without doing the first three. Give him time and he will be a great player. But, if we hurry, we will lose him," the tactician explained. Gogoi 's progress in turning his promise into performances is expected to be tracked by the footballing fraternity this season. (ANI)
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