Jason Cummings facing Lionel Messi, reaching the pinnacle of his career
Every Kolkata resident who supports the Mohun Bagan Super Giants knows Jason Cummings by name. When he finally transferred from Central Coast Mariners to Kolkata, the fans were ecstatic. Cummings, a former and current Mariner, is gradually settling in, recalling his experience at his old team.
In each of his last three games for the Mariners, the 28-year-old has scored a goal. Cummings had an outstanding campaign with the Central Coast Mariners last year, scoring an incredible 31 goals and dishing out 12 assists in 50 appearances. He is now starting to perform similarly with his new club.
In the most recent episode of “In the Stands,” which is hosted by Suyash Upadhyaya, Cummings shared his memories from playing for several clubs in various nations and talked about his most memorable football experience.
“I’d say my most gratifying football experience to date was with Hibernian FC. I had undoubtedly averaged 20+ goals there for three straight seasons. I really liked being there, won the Scottish Cup, and at the time, I was just a huge football fan! When you have a manager that plays you and believes in you, playing every week is huge, Cummings stated in the interview with Suyash Upadhyaya.
“And after that, I would say that until I moved to Australia and started playing for the Central Coast Mariners, I never really found the appropriate stability. It was another period when I had a manager who played me every week because he thought highly of me. I eventually paid him back by scoring twenty goals! I also truly enjoyed that period of my work, he continued.
Cummings also spoke about his World Cup experience playing for the Australian national football team, a memory that will always hold a special place in his heart. He made his FIFA World Cup debut against France in the opening game, coming on as a replacement in the 56th minute.
The peak of his success came when he won the A-League title with the Central Coast Mariners in his first season, defeating Melbourne City with a commanding 6-1 score in the final. The striker from Australia had, in essence, a fantasy voyage over the previous season.
“Of course, playing in the World Cup with the Socceroos as well! receiving that chance, enjoying oneself, succeeding with the Central Coast Mariners, and then winning the Grand Final with a fantastic team, manager, and staff. It was like a storybook!” As Cummings said.
Cummings, a Scotsman by birth, has played in a few senior-level games as well as youth levels for the Scotland national team. His chances of playing senior football, though, didn’t appear promising until he explored moving from Scotland to Australia in 2019.
Finally, Cummings gained a position in the Australian team for two friendlies against New Zealand in September 2022, barely three months before the World Cup. He took the pitch as a second-half substitute in the second game in Auckland, making his debut, and easily converted a penalty.
“Yeah, I played a few times for Scotland, but those were simply friendly matches. I was born in Scotland, but my mother was from Australia. As a result, I was able to play for Australia at a later time in my career thanks to her. “International Football, you know, wasn’t looking too good for me at that point because Scotland weren’t calling me up,” said Cummings.
“So when the chance arose, I spoke with Graham Arnold, the Socceroos manager, who obviously noticed that I was performing well and scored goals while playing in the A-League. He offered me the opportunity, and I believe my first game was against New Zealand. I entered the game and converted the penalty, he claimed.
Few athletes can recall a day when they faced off against Lionel Messi, much less on the prestigious FIFA World Cup platform. Cummings, on the other hand, can proudly share the experience of playing on the field with the Argentine great thanks to his remarkable record.
At the World Cup last year, when Australia played Argentina in the Round of 16, a rare opportunity presented itself. Cummings played in the match for the Socceroos, who lost to the defending world champions by a score of 2-1.
Cummings still remembers those golden moments from last year’s epic Round of 16 matchup against Messi.
“I believe that the World Cup simply swung the Ronaldo-Messi discussion in Messi’s favor. Personally, I think both of these guys are the best. Players like me have it tough because of them! You know, they’ve raised the standard so high for the rest of the players, it’s impossible to catch up,” Cummings said.
So I simply congratulated him on the win. They defeated us and scored a quality goal. And I simply stated, “Look, I think you’re the best player ever. Thank you for all that you have done for football.
“Maybe,” I suppose I chuckled, “I said, “I adored him! It’s unclear to me. I simply gave him a quick hug and wished him luck, adding that I hoped he would go on to win this World Cup. Meeting this player and being in his vicinity—playing on the biggest stage with him—was a dream come true. It was really great, man. said the Australian.
Team India has been placed in a group with Australia, Syria, and Uzbekistan for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Cummings and his Mohun Bagan Super Giant teammates have a good chance of being selected for Asia’s premier football competition in January.
As he offers an insight into his thoughts and sentiments, Cummings has stated his excitement about the chance to compete against his own club teammates during the AFC Asian Cup.
Yes, I have talked to the youngsters like Glan Martins, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco, and all of them. I’ll just say that hopefully we can interact. It would be exciting to play against them if I get called up and these guys get called up. The Australian forward said, “I’m taking no prisoners, I’m going to smash them (laughs)!”
“Even though I’ve only been here three weeks, I already feel at home! The populace has been polite and welcoming. I therefore feel somewhat involved in the process. It will therefore be a great event to have both the Indian and Australian fans watching and supporting me, Cummings said.
