Junior feels Bhaichung is the best among Indian footballers

Calcutta: He came, he saw, he conquered.

That’s the common headline of a generally uncommon act. With a record-breaking seven goals in seven National Football League (NFL) matches since his debut in red-and-gold colours, Cristiano de lima Junior must now be in seventh heaven. But East Bengal’s new Brazilian recruit has his feet firmly on the ground.

The lanky six-foot-plus striker, who wants to model himself on Ronaldo, enjoys the hype around him but doesn’t want to sit on his laurels. “Soy un delantero — I’m a forward and should be judged by my goal-scoring qualities. I never let anything come in the realisation of this simple fact,” East Bengal’s No. 26 told The Telegraph through an interpreter.

“It’s okay so far as I’ve been serving my team and playing a key role in its cause. But to be honest, scoring goals is my primary duty. If I can’t score, my utility and reliability as a striker will be lost,” remarked the current craze of the NFL.

In his scheme of things, the record run of goals is just a “little part” of his purpose of coming to India. “Back in Brazil, there are too many quality players. Being a professional, I always want to get more exposure. When I got a chance to represent East Bengal through Douglas da Silva (who is a friend-cum-guide for him), I didn’t hesitate to come over,” said Junior, who has played for Vasco da Gama, Sampaio Correa as well as American Natal in Brazil.

But it must be a whole new world of experience for him out here? Junior admitted it was, and quickly clarified his thoughts on Indian football.

“Indian football can’t expect to grow by leaps and bounds by introducing Brazilian training methods. When a child catches up with his father in height, he often tries to put himself in the dad’s role. But a child always remains a child, he can never take over his father’s role.

“So you shouldn’t compare Indian football with Brazil and other European powerhouses, since quality-wise the difference between them is too vast. I feel football here should be considered in the Asian context… India is a fast-emerging force with a lot of potential. What is needed to sustain the momentum is the immediate introduction of a professional league at the national level. The players have to be thorough professionals and the clubs need to be more focussed on modern training schedules”.

According to him, East Bengal are very much “on the forefront” of Indian football. “Consistency and teamwork are two important factors in this team. What also impresses me is the understanding among the players. They respect each other and I feel quite at home with them,” the Brazilian observed.

Junior picks Bhaichung Bhutia as the best among Indian footballers he has seen so far. “He’s sharp and pretty clear about his role as a striker. Alvito (D’Cunha) is also a good player, so are Dipak (Mondal) and Subhas (Chakraborty). I think we have a team which can challenge anybody,” he added.

Junior also had words of praise for his coach. “Our coach pays personal attention to each player. He also keeps in memory who’s doing what and accordingly sets up his plans. He’s been a friend-cum-manager to me,” he said of Subhas Bhowmick.

A reserved person by nature, he politely refused to discuss the controversial departure of fellow-Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto. He didn’t even want to talk too much about Thursday’s Derby clash with Mohun Bagan. “I’ve heard a lot about this rivalry. I want to play good football against them. Mi hecho principal es hacer gol (My principal objective will be to score),” Junior signed off.

Unlike a lot of Brazilian footballers, the story of Brasilia resident Junior isn’t a ghetto-based escape from poverty. Born on June 5, 1979, to an educated family, Junior believes in a simple philosophy — be honest to your job and the result will come naturally. As he put it: “Life never stops at one point.”

Barreto may have gone back to Brazil and, with him, some fond memories of good football. But here comes another Brazilian who has already shown enough to suggest that he can fill up the vacuum.

Yes, Junior is right. Life never stops at one point.