'There aren't many players who are as hungry to score as I am', asserts Chhetri

He might be in the twilight zone of his illustrious career but his insatiable appetite to find the back of the net every time he dons the India Blues is what keeps 38yearold Sunil Chhetri goingChhetri the third most prolific international scorer 84 goals from 132 matches among active international players behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi said his hunger to score is the same as it has always beenI dont want to sound pompous but I feel that there arent many players who are as hungry to score as I am Chhetri said ahead of Indias match against Kyrgyz Republic in the TriNation International football tournament hereMy hunger to score is the same as it has always been and it will be the same against the Kyrgyz RepublicAlso Read Chhetri may be playing his last season Igor StimacHaving beaten Myanmar 10 in the first match on Wednesday last India need just a draw in the last match of the tournament on TuesdayIn the Myanmar match Chhetri had found the target but the referee had disallowed the goal ruling that he was offside India head coach Igor Stimac had also claimed that Chhetri should have got a penalty for a foul on him by a Myanmar playerOffsides and penalty decisions are a part of the game and you think about them for a certain amount of time but then you move on and look forward to the next match said Chhetri who made his India debut in 2005What you rather do is to minimize mistakes and move onThe talismanic striker also felt that joining the national camp just after losing the Indian Super League final for Bengaluru FC was like a boonThe national team camp gave us an outlet If the camp wasnt there it would have been more difficult for us to cope Chhetri said referring to Bengaluru FCs defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL final via penalty shootoutIts not a switch of a button but when you have to take the flight the next day to the national camp it gives you a bit more in terms of what you are thinking You come and see the setup and it takes your mind far from the loss you start training and your mind is furtherAfter months of hard work when you lose a final of ISL you can go into a rabbit hole if you have time to think But thankfully for us we joined straight at the national CampChhetri warned his teammates not to get complacent against their opponents on TuesdayKyrgyz Republic have physically strong and fast players Dont be fooled by what happened against Myanmar because they are a top side We have seen their last 10 games and believe me when I say they are a very good sideiquest he saidAll the matches that we have played against them in the past have also been tough matchesChhetri was impressed with the support from the crowd who turned up to fill the Khuman Lampak Stadium to the brim against Myanmariqueste got such amazing support from the crowd in the first game against Myanmar This is the second time I have come here and the first time that Ive played in Imphal but I understand why people of Manipur are crazy about footballI just hope that we can get a positive result against Kyrgyz Republic and hope we can give an amazing game to the people I also saw a lot of travelling fans as well as little girls and mothers come to the stands and that is really good for the gameThe India captain also spoke about the motivating effect these matches could give to the younger players from the state which has produced several international players both men and womenMany of us who have been playing for a long time we have not been here for matches So watching all the Indian Football stars gives the younger kids that extra motivation said ChhetriEven more than the others seeing the likes of Suresh Wangjam Jeakson Singh Yasir Mohammad could really motivate the kids here though judging by the sheer number of quality players that come out of this state they do not need as much motivationI just hope that as a national team we can give them that much more to help them dream more he concludedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever