It’s important that teammates value me, coach knows my ability: Siverio

Panaji: When Javier Siverio landed in India during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, he was an exception to the foreign player rule.
Most players arrive in India at the fag end of their careers, largely in their thirties, trying to cash in on a final paycheck. Siverio was just 23 when he took Manolo Marquez’s advice and followed in his footsteps to India.

Siverio and Manolo know each other from their days at Las Palmas in Spain, so when the experienced coach asked if he wanted to give India a try, the striker didn’t think much. After two seasons with Hyderabad FC where they won the ISL Trophy in 2022, the duo went their separate ways: Manolo to FC Goa and Siverio to East Bengal, and later Jamshedpur FC.

Now they are reunited. At Goa.

“It’s important that a coach has confidence in the player and knows what he offers (on the field),” Siverio told TOI after a training session at the Field of Dreams in Guirim last week. “That’s why he took me to Hyderabad, now here. For me, he’s a coach who does not invent or experiment too much. Everyone knows what they have to do. That’s important because even if you sometimes have a bad game, you can still get a good result.”

There’s a reason why Manolo chose Siverio ahead of every other name that was put before him. First, the familiarity to Indian football; after all, it’s the striker’s fifth season here, so he knows everything associated with the sport. Then, like the coach explains, “whether people like his style or not,” he’s aware about himself and will do the job.”

“This guy will score goals even a day before he passes away,” Manolo told TOI after the club’s formal announcement.

Siverio is not what fans wished for when Armando Sadiku left the club, leaving a vacancy upfront. For a club that has had Rafael Coelho, Ferran Corominas, Igor Angulo, Alvaro Vazquez and Carlos Martinez as strikers in recent times, fans probably expected a more attractive name.

Siverio is under no illusion about his popularity, or the lack of it, at least before the start of the season.

“Normally I watch all the games in the league and since I’ve come here, the top scorers have scored 10-12 goals in the ISL. I come here from Jamshedpur, scoring seven, that too after not being a regular starter. For me that’s not important. I just want to help the team whenever they need me, even if it’s coming from the bench or if I am starting,” said Siverio.

Last season, only four players -- Alaaeddine Ajaraie, Sunil Chhetri, Jamie Maclaren and Armando Sadiku – scored goals in double figures.

Siverio won’t mind the perception anyone has about him. He knows the coach, and his teammates, trust him to burst through barriers, run endlessly, throw himself in the air, and fight for the ball like his life depended on it.

“The important thing for me is that my teammates make me feel valued,” said Siverio. “The coaching staff know my abilities. It's important for a player to know what he's capable of doing, and what he's not. I know I can do a lot for the team and I’ll be available for them whenever they want.”

For a start, not just his teammates, but everyone with Goa on their mind will need him to deliver when the Super Cup champions host Al Seeb at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Wednesday. It’s a crucial single-leg playoff against the Oman champions, with a spot in the AFC Champions League Two group stage on offer.

“We know it's a difficult game, but if we do the correct things, we can win this one. We have trained for a month, played some friendlies and I can see that the team is in good shape. Seeb Club are playing away, it won’t be easy for them to adjust to the weather and conditions here. I’m sure we can win this one,” said Siverio.