CHENNAI: Olympic medallist. Asian Games winner. Commonwealth Games medallist. More than 300 India caps. Individual honours. Civilian awards from the Indian government. When you have won the accolades that PR Sreejesh has won, it's natural to wonder what sort of legacy the 35-year-old wants to leave behind. How does he want to be remembered? "If people remember me as one of the best goalkeepers the country has ever produced, that will be a huge honour for me," was his response. The custodian, currently in Hangzhou for the Asian Games, spoke to this daily on a number of subjects, including his journey over the years, playing at Chennai, being a very vocal goalkeeper, the complex question of legacy and more. Excerpts from an interview:
On playing international matches at Chennai, his home ground
When the city hosted the Asia Cup in 2007, I have memories of watching those matches from the stands. For me, it's a home ground because I have played most of my domestic matches there. I spent 20 years in Chennai. It made me so happy that people came and spoke to me in their language. They felt comfortable around me, clicked pictures, asked for autographs... it was very nice. I have played matches in Odisha, Delhi but it was one of my first international matches in south India. It was a very big honour for me personally.
On playing his 300th match during the Asian Champions Trophy and how he has changed
Big difference; I was very different when I was making my debut. I changed my basics, have learned a lot of things, changed the way I approach the ball, changed the way I stand even. 17 years... in this journey of mine, I have met a lot of coaches. When all of them tell you a lot of things, they naturally contribute a lot to your growth and development and that's what happened with me. But I have always tried to develop my own style and improve myself because when you start to develop your own style, it helps you to improve yourself rather than looking at someone to improve you. When you try to develop your own version of goalkeeping, then it's easy for you to make the changes and improve.
On if this evolution made him become a more vocal goalkeeper
I have never been captain cool; always been like that (vocal). There's an understanding between goalkeepers and defenders. The defenders are closest to me and those people need my shout, they want me to shout at them. They want to hear my noise so they realise that they are in the right position. Even in training sessions, I try to be myself; shouting, screaming and getting aggressive so that they are used to it. If I don't do it, they are like 'aare, something bad is happening with us or something bad is happening with Sree bhai'. Now, I'm a super senior. I try to control that a lot because my team members are like 3rd or 4th generation so if I shout at them, they may feel bad or they may sink into their shells. I have tried to keep that in my mind.
On being a super senior in the side and the legacy he would like to leave behind
I have never thought of leaving a legacy behind; just playing my best. Whenever I take to the field, I want to be a better version than what I was yesterday. At this age, when you are playing well, it gives hope that you can play so long. I have heard a lot about Dhanraj Pillay. He has played four Olympics, four World Cups, four Asian Games and so on... that's a great thing. It truly is hard for a player to stay at the elite level for such a long time. That's the dream for all athletes. Now, I made my debut in 2006 which is a great thing for me. If people remember me as one of the best goalkeepers India has ever produced, that will be an honour for me.
On his very unique side-to-side view of the action compared to the outfield players and how he uses his vantage point to analyse patterns of play under coach Craig Fulton
Every coach has their own style. When Craig came, he didn't change a lot but he tried to add something to the system. On the field being the goalkeeper, our job is like being a coach. You know the system, style, defensive structure... you just make sure the players are doing the right things on the field so that the ball stays away from you. Being the goalkeeper, that's ultimately what I want. Sometimes, it's your responsibility to guide them in the right way.
On his partnership with Krishan Pathak and how he sees the shared responsibility (India rotates their keeper per quarter)
It's always good to share a field with the second goalkeeper. When I started, it was always about the first goalkeeper. The entire tournament, he would be playing and the second goalkeeper would be on the bench. Nowadays, hockey is too fast, there's more power in the shot and the sticks have changed. The chances of a goalkeeper getting injured have increased so much so make sure the second goalkeeper is getting sufficient match time... giving them enough opportunities gives them more experience. It gives them more confidence.