Sport

Interview with Liverpool player Adrián San Miguel

London, 7 Jul. (EFE) (Camera: Manuel Sánchez Gómez). Adrián San Miguel has had a rollercoaster year — the Spanish goalkeeper went from training with the tiny Andalusian club of UD Pilas whilst out of a contract to winning the UEFA Super Cup and from lifting the Club World Cup to disappointment in the Champions League and seeing Liverpool lift their first Premier League trophy in 30 years. In an interview with Efe, the Liverpool player has a look back at the season, perhaps one of the most important in his career. FOOTAGE OF EFE INTERVIEW WITH ADRIAN SAN MIGUELTRANSLATIONS: QUESTION: How do you feel about winning the title, now you have had a few days to let it sink in?ANSWER: We’ve not had that much time to celebrate given the circumstances, we celebrated when we were watching the Chelsea-Manchester City game, which secured us the title but nothing much more than that. We had to play, because now we have games every three days. We need a bit more time to digest something so big, something that will be difficult to beat. It has been 30 years without a title and it was incredible. Now we’re going to try to beat the record of 100 league points.Q: Is it as important for the city and the club as it seems?A: Totally. Anyone who knows a little bit about football and knows the history of Liverpool and when they last won the league… the team has suffered a lot of setbacks, but now they’ve taken a step forward. With regards to trophies, it’s one of the best clubs in the world. Winning the Premier League was a thorn in our side for a long time because many great players and managers hadn't achieved it. Now there has been a coming together of a well-known manager, like Jürgen (Klopp), and a hard-working team with a lot of quality, which has not grown tired of winning.Q: What have you seen at the club that surprised you?A: The magnitude of the title. You go down the street and there are banners everywhere, scarves, the people greet you, honk their horns. This will be celebrated for a long time, until, as the coach says, we can all go out together with the trophy in our hands. That will be the culminating moment.Q: The same night you won the title, Jordan Henerson and Klopp cried on TV, was it as emotional as it looked?A: I shed a tear too when the referee blew the whistle to end the Chelsea vs. City game. It’s a Premier League title, but everyone at the club and our families know how hard it is and how it was won. It’s going to take some time and calm before we assimilate all that. It was a night full of emotions, difficult to put into words. You really had to live it in the moment. Q: What if you have to wait another year before you can parade the trophy?A: It won’t be me who decides that, but Klopp made it clear that right now we can’t let that happen, because the fans have been waiting for years. Many of my teammates weren’t even born when Liverpool lifted their last league title and it’s something that runs deep. We hope it won’t be long off. He (Klopp) even said that, if the new season is already underway and we have to stop for a few days to do it, then that’s what we’d do. Q: Why is it Klopp, a German manager, who seems to understand more than anyone else what this means to Liverpool?A: There has been this union since he arrived. He gave the team the boost it needed. Also, his footballing philosophy has fit in well with all of the players who have arrived and he has built the brilliant team there is now. Many people ask me what the secret to our training is, how do we play such quick football. It’s something we train for every day, something all the players learn from memory. Not even Manchester City, with the team they have and the season they had last year, were able to keep up.Q: All rallied around Klopp?A: Totally. He’s in the same boat as us all. He’s very close with all the players, and exactly how you see him. So normal, so human. Respect is not bought, you earn it bit by bit, and for that reason people have full confidence in him. Q: Some say he angers easily. A: Same as everyone (laughs). He is a manager, the one who has to make decisions in important moments, but yes he tells you like it is but he focuses on positive reinforcement, rather than recriminations. We are all self-critical, we all know when we’re performing well or not but he’s always there to support you and make sure everyone gives 100 percent. Q: Is the next season going to be more difficult?A: Not more difficult, I would say more demanding. It's a new season, which starts with a breath of fresh air. We’ll see how it pans out in these circumstances. We’ve set the expectations very high, we’ll try to improve on these results, but that will be difficult. It’s not going to be about defending the league title but going for it again. We cannot relax. Q: Being so accustomed to winning can be used as a venom, right?A: When you win so often, you get used to it and you feel comfortable with it. This is what the trainer tries to do everyday, give you this venom. In the prematch briefs, reminding you of where you come from and the history of the team, that everything you have achieved is based on hard work. Q: This ‘where you come from’ is a reminder that Liverpool is a club with a humble history. Mané, Salah, Henderson, who is often compared to Gerrard. You, a year ago, were training in Seville without a club…A: Knowing your roots and not forgetting to demand the best from yourself. Right now everything is great, but you know that difficult moments can always arrive. These are players who are now at a great level but they’ve had to work hard to get there. The team was not created from big stars but it was created from great players who became stars. Q: Would you like to retire at Liverpool?A: I’m 33 and I hope to be playing for a long time. Goalkeepers can last a little longer than outfield players. I have a year left on my contract here, with another one optional… this first season has been exceptional. A year ago I was without a contract. You have to make the most of this and live in the moment, but (to answer the question) why not?