Kerala Blasters have completed their pre-season training ahead of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2015. The Sachin Tendulkar co-owned ISL franchise have also announced their final squad for the second edition of the star-studded ISL.
Blasters have made a couple of high-profile signings this season and one of them was former West Ham United goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
Bywater expressed his happiness to be in India and with Kerala Blasters. He has been with his teammates for a couple of weeks now and is trying to cope up with the Indian conditions.
"I've been in India for two weeks now. I am getting used to the weather, it is extremely hot. The people are so nice and I am enjoying myself," Bywater said in an interview to Goal.com.
Blasters are the only franchise to conduct their pre-season training camp in India. Their prime agenda was to get the players accustomed with the hot and humid conditions in which they will be playing in another two weeks time.
Kerala Blasters were rather unlucky not to have won the first ISL in 2014. Atletico de Kolkata scored an injury time goal and snatched the trophy. Blasters were in control of the game throughout the the 90 minutes. Michael Chopra missed a couple of sitters as well and the Sourav Ganguly co-owned franchise got lucky enough to win the first ever ISL title in 2014.
This time, Peter Taylor and Trevor Morgan wants to make sure that their men in yellow goes all the way. Tendulkar is also confident since the players have been working hard and the dividends will be paid off this year.
Former Spanish international Carlos Marchena is their marquee signing for the ISL 2015. Marchena has bag-full of experience with him and will be a crucial member of the Blasters side throughout the tournament.
Kerala Blasters will be beginning their ISL 2015 campaign against North East United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Kochi on 6 October. It will be interesting to see how things fair for the Kochi-based ISL franchise this year.
