ISL: Fast and furious, Mumbai City FC’s Bipin Singh is a player transformed

Spotting Bipin Singh on a football field is not a tough task. Even if you miss his golden hair, his electrifying pace would certainly catch your eye.

Hugging the touchline, Bipin earns his bread by running up and down the flank. And he does it faster than most players in the Indian Super League.

Born in Manipur, football came naturally to him and he started playing when he was eight. Right from that age, the thing that stood out for Bipin was his pace. Playing for his local club in Wangoi, he was always used on the flanks. His coach there played him at left-back where no opponent winger could steal the march on him.

But when he was selected for the India Under-14 camp, his coach there felt his pace could be devastating at the other end of the field. That’s where Bipin Singh, the winger, began to take shape.

Playing for Shillong Lajong and later for ATK and Mumbai City in the ISL, Bipin Singh became the coach’s pet. His pace and energy were assets every coach needed and an occasion goal meant he was a top utility player.

At Mumbai City, coach Jorge Costa used him extensively in different positions as he made 15 appearances for the team during the 2019-’20 season. “Bipin (Singh), is a left winger but has played as a left-back. This means that I have players who, for the good of the team, can do all I ask of them,” Costa had said last season.

Thus, despite a big overhaul at Mumbai City after the takeover by City Football Group, Bipin Singh was retained. He was just too useful to let go.

However, Sergio Lobera had slightly different plans. Despite buying an array of talented players, the Spaniard identified Bipin as a player who could be a key part of his attacking midfield. He had seen something different in the Manipuri winger that no previous manager had.

“I’ve got good pace and I have used it to my advantage but my strongest trait is that I am comfortable playing with both feet. I can rely on my left as much as I can rely on my right foot. It gives me the confidence to try things some other people cannot,” Bipin told Scroll.in.

Lobera used that very confidence to his advantage handing him a free role. While Bipin started out wide where he would make use of his pace, there was more emphasis on holding and moving the ball. It also gave him greater freedom to move across midfield positions and also get into the box.

“He expects his players to play possession-based football, and that kind of suits me more. It feels like you are free to move anywhere on the field, you just have to keep the ball, and by doing so you don’t have to play defensively,” he said.

“Under Costa, I had more defensive work and at times it became slightly tiring for me and it affected by game upfront,” he added.

The change has paid dividends. Bipin has been a player transformed this season and his numbers reflect that progress.

Coming into the season, his fourth full season in the ISL, Bipin had four goals and two assists to his name. But in the 2020-’21 season alone he has bagged five goals and four assists.

He has the joint-most goal contributions by an Indian player this season (9) along with Sunil Chhetri.

On Wednesday, as Mumbai City FC thrashed Odisha FC 6-1, Bipin reached the zenith of his career as he scored his first hat-trick in the ISL. It was also the first by any player this season and also the first by an Indian player in over three years.

“I remember watching him when I was at Shillong Lajong and he was just a player with a lot of pace. But now he’s a different player. I think he is the most improved Indian player in the ISL,” Pradhyum Reddy, former FC Pune City coach who works as a pundit for Star Sports said after the game.

A lot of credit for the improvement goes to Lobera whose faith in the 25-year-old has got the best out of him.

“If you try to play with your mind still thinking about a mistake you made, you will certainly make another one. He tells us that it is important to back yourself and keep going on and that confidence has helped me become better and better,” Bipin had told the ISL website earlier this season.

And even more importantly for Bipin, he’s enjoying his football just as he did as a kid.

“A lot of coaches have taught me a lot of stuff but one piece of advice that’s stayed with me is that you must enjoy your game, come what may. I can say I have the same feeling this season. I go out there to enjoy myself,” Bipin said.

Bipin and Mumbai City now enter the business end of the season where the AFC Champions League spot and the ISL trophy are on offer. If Mumbai City FC are to achieve their targets, Bipin would have certainly played a big part. He’s no longer the utility player he was, he’s the main man now.