Palanca - Playing with Coro is too easy

The 30-year-old hopes to make the best of his past experience of playing alongside Ferran Corominas

All eyes will surely be on Miguel Palanca and the way he replaces Manuel Lanzarote at FC Goa in season 5 of the Indian Super League (ISL).

Lanzarote joined ATK after scoring 13 goals and effecting as many as six assists, especially combining well with Ferran Corominas (Coro) during his time with the Gaurs. He also had a difference in opinion with Lobera who has now brought in Palanca to replace him.

The Spaniard, in a chat with Goal, stated that Lanzarote might be a better individual player than him but is confident of making a mark in the FC Goa attack.

"Manuel Lanzarote is a very good crosser and an accurate shooter. I think I also have a good cross and shot but I am a player who likes to play with team-mates. I like passing and one-twos. I think he (Lanzarote) is better individually than me as I play more collective (football).

"Before coming here, I spoke with Coro to ask about the club, the country, life and everything. He explained to me that it (ISL) is a nice championship, the stadiums are very good and the fans are crazy for their teams. This is what is needed to play football," he said.

What would work for Palanca is that he has prior experience of playing alongside Coro at two different clubs.

"When I played with him (Coro) in Espanyol, I was a very young player when I started my career and he was in the first team. We went to training together many times and I have known him since. Five or six years ago, we played together in Elche and we had an amazing season and went to the first division," Palanca recalled.

"Playing with Coro is too easy. He is a very clever player. He makes playing with him very easy and does amazing things. Everybody knows what he did last year and I hope this year he will be the same or better," he added.

The former Real Madrid player is pleasantly taken aback by the quality of his team-mates and the level of Indian football.

"If I am honest, I never really watched any game in the Indian (Super) League but I saw my team in the pre-season and I was surprised. I never thought (expected) the level of football in India was like that (good). They are very good players, they work hard and we can do good things. I don't know the level of other teams but I know my team and I trust in my team," he declared.

Palanca is aware of how his current team fared in the ISL last season and wants to contribute to a successful one this time around.

"I am not a player who would set targets before a championship. I will try to give my everything to show the best of my football. The club also surely wants to do better than last year where they finished third and lost in the semi-finals. This year we want to do good things and connect with the fans," he signed out on an optimistic note.