Making a comeback after almost a year due to an ankle injury, Indian football team striker Jeje Lalpekhlua says chief coach Wim Koevermans has helped him become a better player technically.
"Technically, he has fine-tuned me a lot. He explained to me as to how I could be sharper with my turning and off-the-ball play. I like his style a lot," Jeje said.
The striker, along with the other team members, are here to compete in the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup, which will be his first big test since being sidelined with an injury.
"Every player sweats it hard to be here. It feels nice and makes me more confident as a player that I am back in the national squad after more than a year.
"My ankle injury had kept me out of the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal in March 2012 and since then it has been a battle, more within my own self to be back."
Asked how did he motivate himself during the time he was out of action, Jeje said, "Football motivated me more than anything else. I just wanted to be back playing again for my club. More than the physical aspect, an injury hits you hard mentally as a player.
"You start thinking that you won't ever have the strength to be back. Serious doubts kept creeping in. But at the same time, it makes you tougher as a player as you have already seen the worst of times."
And about his targets, he said, "As a striker, I'd say to score as many goals as possible. But the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 (Qualifiers) stay the immediate target -- not only for me but for the entire contingent. We are a good unit and need to believe in ourselves."
Jeje was aware of the threat India's opponents in the tournament could pose.
"I made my senior India debut against Chinese Taipei in the AFC Challenge Cup in Malaysia in 2011. I remember scoring in the match as we won 2-1. Then, in the U-23 Olympic Qualifiers, I scored against Myanmar in Pune as we went on to win 2-1. I can tell you, both of the teams are very competitive ones and would pose a huge threat. And there's Guam too.
