Michael Chopra is a cult hero at the Kerala Blasters, just like he was when he played for Cardiff in the English Championship. His charisma, his blonde hair and the 'Rocky' on the back of his shirt - a reference to his real name - have done the trick.
Chopra is now in his second year in Kerala, after a successful stint in the first edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014 when they finished runners-up. He's an expressive player, and as expressive off the field too, speaking frankly about his club, his team-mates and his former coach.
For one, Chopra says he wasn't convinced by the methods of David James, the predecessor to current coach Steve Coppell. They reached the final under James but Chopra says the coach was hardly the reason why they did so. "I think in the first season it was down to the players, I don't think it wasn't down to David James at all. I was quite surprised by James coaching...I didn't really see what coaching he did for the team. Steve Coppell is totally different. He is [into] man-management and looking at the other team's weaknesses. So they are two totally different managers."
Kerala didn't retain Chopra in 2015 and he played for Scottish club Alloa Athletic for a year before returning back. Kerala finished last that season and Chopra says the poor performance after an impressive first season was down to the fact that they managed to retain only one foreign player - the Spaniard Pulga. "Kerala wanted to go about their things differently to the first year. What foreign players did they keep? Was it a mistake? Of course it was. That's why they finished bottom. They bought the wrong players but that's down to the football club and I can't really comment on what they want to do, how they want to sign players and things like that. That's down to them and whatever happened last year has backfired and this year's much better."
In 2015, Kerala Blasters signed players like Peter Ramage, Stephen Bywater, Bruno Perone, and Sanchez Watt while also signing former Benfica player João Coimbrain the second year. Spanish international Carlos Marchena came in as the new marquee for the club.
"You bring in players that have been playing in the low standard in England, you will get a low standard of football in the team. You look at what we have done this year. You bring in Aaron Hughes, who played in the European Championships, you bring Cedric (Hengbart) back, he's played in the Champions League, you bring Graham Stack in, he was on the bench for Arsenal when they went 42 games undefeated in the premier league. And you bring in a manager like Steve Coppell, who played in Manchester United, played for England and won promotion at Reading. Obviously the success is already in the players to do well in the club."
Chopra says he believes that if Indian football has to improve they need to bring in more European mettle. Although he believes the Indian players are improving in quality - take for example Sandish Jhinghan for Kerala - he believes the mentality and commitment to the cause of the team is lacking.
"Some players take a knock and they go down and that's it, they are out for two or three games. Ninety per cent of the time I have never gone into a game fully fit. You always have a niggle and you have always got a knock. But there are some players in India that would only play if they are 100% fit. That needs to change. They need to go about the game a lot tougher than what they are."
He also says Indian players need to be more analytical when watching the game. "I think sometimes when they sit and watch games, they'd rather watch Messi than watch Barcelona. I would rather watch Barcelona, how they attack, how do they get the ball forward. There are some players that see Messi dribbling and go 'woah!' But how did they get the ball to him? How does he find space? That's how I see the game. "
Chopra is not the striker he once was - he has only one goal in two ISL seasons - but he wishes to continue his career in India. However, he's hoping for a longer ISL season but for that he says the people "high up" in the administration need to be a little more pro-active. "You've got people high up that don't really know what's happening in the game. They do it differently to what I am used to. If something is going to happen in Europe it happens whereas here things get delayed."
Chopra's headline ISL moment, unfortunately, was probably not his finest; it came in the 2014 final, when his goal-scoring chance in the last 10 minutes of the game from point blank range was saved by Atletico de Kolkata's Edel Bete. The score was still 0-0 and Atletico went to win the ISL when Mohammed Rafique scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
"They say it was a miss but if you look at it, it was a very good save. Edel came up to me when we played in Pune and he says he still can't believe he saved that. Was it a miss? I've done everything I could. If I had the chance tomorrow, would I do the same thing? Yes I would do the same thing. That's how I strike the ball. Even till today I can't believe he saved it."
Chopra was asked to play for the Indian national team when Bob Houghton requested the AIFF to try and get him into the team in 2011. However, under AIFF rules he needed an Indian passport holder to play for the country. Chopra has applied for an Indian passport - "It can actually come this year" - but wonders why the rules can't be changed. "Why not let overseas citizens of India play for the national team? It's the only way the country as a whole, not just in football, but in cricket, in tennis and hockey can get better."
Today, Chopra seems content with his career. "The media can write what they want about me, I don't need them to tell me how well I am doing. I've had a great career. I have been a role model for Indians. So I am happy with my life and my career."
"Everything I wanted to do I have done in England apart from winning a trophy and hopefully that can come at this stage of my career."
Kerala Blasters fans will sincerely hope so.