Gawli says too late to change position

Houghton had said that Gawli would have been the best right back in Asia had he started his career in that position.

"Mahesh has a very good right foot. He is quick, possess a good header and has good interception. So he would have been the best right back in Asia. But all his life he has played as central defender.

But for that position he lacks height and so I have advised him to play right back," Houghton had said.
Gawli, however, said that with four or five years left in his career, it would be difficult to change from central defender to right left back.

"I think it is too late to change position. I have been playing all my career as central defender and I think I can't change my position now," he said.
"It would have been better had such a suggestion come at the start of my career. With four or five years left in my career I think I can't play as right back," he added.

"I don't know whether my club coach Armando Colaco (Dempo coach) would want to play me at the right," Gawli said.
Till the Nehru Cup, Gawli had been playing as a central defender. But with Anwar and Gouramangi Singh doing well for the country and with the injury to NS Manju, Houghton had fielded Gawli as left back in the first three matches in the Nehru Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium here.
Gawli once played as right back when India played Hong Kong in a friendly match in January in Hyderabad.
The Dempo player, however, said he was enjoying the new role as a left back in the ongoing Nehru Cup.
"I am enjoying myself in the new role. I am doing lots of running and even I am getting shots at rival goal," he said.