Hitesh Sharma: Manolo Marquez is not only a good coach but also a ‘good person’

Talented young midfielder Hitesh Sharma has made steady progress in his playing career, earning him a call-up to the Indian team this year. The 23-year-old midfielder played an important role for Hyderabad FC last season, as the team narrowly missed out on an Indian Super League play-off spot. Starting his early career at the Chandigarh Football Academy, Hitesh then joined the Tata Football Academy in Jamshedpur. In 2015, Sharma graduated from the academy and signed with Mumbai of the I-League. Having made his professional debut for the club in March 2016 against Salgaocar, Sharma then made his debut in ISL for ATK FC in the 2017-18 season. 

Until the 2018-19 season, the hardworking midfielder was getting good opportunities at the club. However, things quickly went downhill. After failing to get any game time in the first half of the 2019-20 campaign, he moved to Hyderabad FC during the January transfer window and has slowly started to become an important player for his team. The last campaign was a memorable one for the player, as he featured in 15 games for Manuel Marquez’s team in the 2020-21 season. 

It was also a positive campaign for the club. After overcoming a slow start to the season, Hyderabad narrowly missed the play-offs as they finished 5th in the league table. In an interview with Sportslumo, he opened up about his coach’s role in his development and also getting a maiden call-up to the national team, among other things.

Q. You had a positive season last time around. What do you make of your performance?

Hitesh: Yes, last season was very important for me and yes you can say that Hyderabad FC played a really big role in my career, not just last season.

Q. What can you tell about playing under Manolo Marquez?

Hitesh: Coach Manolo is not only a good coach but also a really good person. He is always helpful to every player in the team. And the best part is that he does not put too much pressure on you and allows you to express yourself.

Q. Earlier this year, the club handed you a two-year contract extension. How happy are you with it?

Hitesh: It feels really good that they showed this trust in me but now, it is time that I repay this trust this season.

Q. The team has signed some exciting players like Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Eduardo ‘Edu’ Garcia, and Bartholomew Ogbeche. How excited are you to see them join the club?

Hitesh: All three of them have already shown what they are capable of, but with other teams. They have shown their quality and it is great that they will play for Hyderabad FC this season. There is so much to learn from them and I can’t wait for the season to get started.

Q. Which new signing are you most looking forward to working with?

Hitesh: It is really difficult to say one name. We have some really good players in the squad but our biggest strength is that we play as a team, as a group. So I am excited to work with every player in this squad.

Q. What are your plans with this team next season? 

Hitesh: Winning a trophy is surely the biggest thing on everyone’s mind. But more important for me is that fans like us and support us more than they did last season. I know we need to do better than last season for it and we will work as hard as we can for it. For now, it is really simple. We want to be in the best shape possible for our first game in the ISL and perform at our best for the whole season.

Q. How did it feel to get the call up to the national team for friendlies in March?

Hitesh: It was a really great experience but for me, that is not enough. It was just a start and I have a lot more to achieve.

Q. Finally, as a midfielder, what is your biggest strength?

Hitesh: My biggest strength is that I play for the team. Weaknesses, I am working hard on improving each day and I hope that I can turn them into my strengths as well. I am still learning and am hoping for the best.