Gurpreet big plus for India, says Kotal

India football team defender Pritam Kotal on Friday heaped praise on goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and said he is a big positive for the side and communicates well with the players.

"Huge! To have the big man as the last line of defence is a big plus for us. The manner in which he communicates is exceptional," the 24-year-old told All India Football Federation (AIFF).

"He keeps us alert and we always have an assurance that he is behind us and that adds to our confidence. He has pulled off amazing saves which only he is capable of," Kotal added.

The former Mohun Bagan player said he talks with fellow defenders Narayan Das, Sandesh Jhingan and Anas Edathodika to discuss about the crictical points that will help in developing the side.

"Despite practising and playing together for quite some time now I feel the camaraderie off the field has been special. Beyond our practice sessions, we talk a lot among ourselves where we indulge in critical analysis," the right-back said.

"We eagerly wait for the feedback from our other partners about when and where we went wrong, and areas we can and need to improve on. The feedback is reciprocal.

"Most importantly, we are good friends and there are no ego clashes among any of us which helps us all to gel well. And it's not just the back four who are playing, but also the other defenders who are part of the squad," Kotal added.

--IANS

sam/dg