Newly-appointed Ulinzi Stars skipper Bryan Birgen believes the side can deliver a vintage performance to clinch the Kenyan Premier League title.
In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Birgen pledged to lead the Langata-based club to glory when the new season kicks off on August 26.
“We had a good pre-season camp in Nanyuki where we underwent high altitude training. This gave us enough time and a good chance to bond as a team and get to interact with the new players,” Birgen said.
“I believe we are now ready to charge for the title. We can face any opponent fearlessly. We trust in our abilities to make things happen in the new season.”
Birgen tipped the side to thrive under the new head coach Anthony ‘Modo’ Kimani.
“We are now trying to push beyond and above so that we can adapt to the philosophy of the new coach,” Birgen stated.
He said he would leverage his new role to inspire his teammates to unprecedented heights by helping them attain their full potential.
“My role as the captain and that of other senior players is to guide the rest of the squad because we are the core of the team and we already know what it requires to succeed at Ulinzi,” Birgen remarked.
“The club has set high standards and tough demands and it’s our responsibility to induct the new players so that they can fit well and perform accordingly. We set examples for the new players by working extremely hard in training.”
“I also intend to hold the hands of the youthful players who have just joined the top flight stage and walk them through the journey. I was also once in the same situation and I know how important it is to have a mentor at that stage.”
He promised to shake off his heart-wrenching experience in the concluded season where he sat out most of the competition after picking up a string of injuries.
“I experienced a tough time in the preceding season given I was on and off the pitch with a nagging injury. I am happy that I’ve had an amazing pre-season and this is important since it usually sets the season in motion for individual players as well as the team,” Birgen said.
“My target is to provide a significant number of assists and also score goals because I know I can find the back of the net.”
He urged their ardent fans to keep their support intact.
“I wish to apologise to our fans because we let them down last season despite them turning out in large numbers to cheer us in our matches. I’d like to assure them that we shall deliver a more satisfying season this time around,” he concluded.
