Jo Paul Ancheri at the Mohun Bagan ground on Monday

Calcutta: He has nothing to prove. Yet the desire to excel even at the fag end of a glorious career still burns in him.

Injury might have taken its toll from time to time, but Jo Paul Ancheri ? the former India captain who has the distinction of playing in almost all positions of the game ? is a born fighter and believes he still has ?a lot of football? in him.

?I?ve come here to give my best. I know this is not possible within a given period of time. I want to improve step by step,? Ancheri told reporters at the Mohun Bagan ground after practice with Subrata Bhattacharya?s wards on Monday morning.

No wonder, the coach was quite impressed with him after the strenuous two-hour training session. ?It seems he?s not out of practice altogether,? was how Bhattacharya welcomed Ancheri. He, however, revealed the new recruit would be New Delhi-bound for the Durand Cup.

But how will this separation with I.M. Vijayan be? Ancheri said it wouldn?t affect him.

?Although this is the first time we?ll play in different teams (since their famous bonding in mid-90s), the separation on the field took place long ago. Both of us started as strikers. I.M. (now doing service for JCT) has stuck to that position while I started growing up as a player suited for all positions,? Ancheri maintained.

Incidentally, Ancheri joined Vijayan at the Mohun Bagan club in 1994 and the bonding started since then. Following a year-long stint with the green and maroon brigade, they shifted base to JCT, helping the Punjab outfit lift the inaugural National Football League. The duo?s last appearance at the Maidan took place in 2001 for East Bengal.

Ten years down the line, Ancheri admitted the separation had to happen. ?I.M. has retired from international football. Plus, keeping the club football pressure under control is too much for him. It (the separation) had to happen at any day and it?s happened now. Period.?