‘I don’t care what people say about my age’

Eleta Kingsley, the Nigeria-born striker, received his Bangladeshi citizenship last year and, on June 17 this year, got his passport, making him the first African footballer to have Bangladeshi citizenship. Now, as Eleta is eligible to play as a local player in the Bangladesh Premier League, he aims at helping his team and proving himself for the national side. Talking to The Business Post’s Shams Rahman, the 31-year-old Basundhara Kings striker spoke about his hopes of playing for the national team and how he believes he can help the red-and-greens.

The Business Post: How did you feel when you got your citizenship and your passport?

Eleta Kingsley: I felt very, very good, and I felt very, very proud. I am the first African black man to have a Bangladeshi passport. So, I felt very proud.

TBP: Jamie Day has already said that he will consider you for the national side if you perform. How exciting is that for you?

Eleta: Very much because I want to see myself in that team. He wants to see my performance. I will always try to perform and prove myself.

TBP: Now that you can play as a local player in the league, you will definitely get more game time. What is your target from this?

Eleta: I can not mention a specific number of goals. But as much as I get the chance in my club, I will always try to make myself useful and score goals.

TBP: Do you believe you can help the national team with your skillset?

Eleta: I believe I can do what I am supposed to do. I can play my part. I can represent my game and fight for the pride of the nation. If I am there and given specific instructions, I will try as much as possible to carry out my role. So, if following the coaches instructions makes me different, then maybe it’s great for everyone. For me, I can not tell you that one man can come and change the orientation of the whole national team. What the national team is doing right now, is very very good. Because it’s not a coaches job is not about yesterday. It’s about today and tomorrow. So, I think for me to come into the national team will be an addition, not a complete change.

TBP: People talk a lot about your age, that you are already 31, how would you fare for the national team if selected. What are your thoughts on this?

Eleta: I don’t care what people say about my age. I care about what I can do. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. So whatever they tell against me, I don’t care. I only care about my belief, my power and what I can do as a footballer. So, when I can no longer serve my club and my country, I will announce my retirement. Everyone has the right to say whatever they want to say. You can not say that to Cristiano Ronaldo. You can not say that to Lionel Messi. You can not say that to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Buffon. There are so many players who are performing at an older age than me. You can not say that to them. So if anyone says that Eleta is too old to play for the national team, let them say it, I don’t care.

TBP: What do you think about the current national team and their playing style?

Eleta: Bangladesh team is a bit defensive. They play the game according to the strength of their opposition. So, for me, they have all in them. They have strength. They have character. They fight for the country. Win, lose or draw- the spirit is always high in the national team. I think that is their playing style.

TBP: You started playing in Bangladesh in 2011. How much has the league changed?

Eleta: The league then and the league now are very different. In terms of players, there is so much improvement, especially of the local players. And the infrastructure has also improved very much. There has also been improvement in youth football. And so, they have young players to replace the foreigners. If this continues, I think in the near future, Bangladesh football will be very, very encouraging.

TBP: In Basundhara, you play with foreign players who are brilliant at creating opportunities for you to finish. But it will not be the same in the national team, as we see the team often failing to create chances. How difficult do you think it will be?

Eleta: All my life, I have always played to make a difference. When I came to Bangladesh, I did not get the chance to play for the best team here. I started with Arambagh, and despite the quality of players there, I managed to score goals regularly. I scored when I played for Sheikh Jamal too, who were one of the biggest teams back then. There were no quality players when I was playing for BJMC, but I still scored consistently. I came to Basundhara and scored.

I went back to BJMC, and it was the same thing. I think the same thing will apply to the national team. I will not stop scoring. I will always make myself available for the pass. I think me joining the national team will help everyone.