When you first arrived in Buriram you played more attacking, and you’ve moved back more over time. Was that your conscious choice, or is that because of your physical condition, and fitness, and so on.
Yeah, at Buriram I was an attacking midfield. Then I came to Suphanburi where Popov also played with a diamond. I was a box-to-box and fitness was great. I played every game, over the games I got my fitness, but then I got injured. So I think it was the injury.
I know myself, so I always wonder how this happens because I train so much, I take care of myself, but I didn’t see any improvements. I did some tests for myself and I saw I had some problems in genetics, so I had to do double or triple, and I have to take care more, and this kind of stuff. I started this year, because I just found out more. It needs time, but it will improve and maybe I still have a few years. I want to be back in the national team and prove everyone wrong who doesn’t believe in me anymore.
But about the positions, I was happy to play as a number six in Muangthong. At the beginning when I came, because we also played possession, and everything went through me. Like I said, I don’t want to be ‘the man,’ but when everything goes through you, you get so much confidence. Then you also dribble more, you can pass players, but if you don’t have confidence you will just pass backwards.
One important thing I learned in my career is the importance of confidence. Of course, there’s fitness, or skills, or whatever. But if you have confidence, anything is possible.
If you could choose your ideal midfield to play with, out of any Thai players, who would you pick?
I would play with three in the midfield. And…huh, I never thought about this. Well, I would have me and Thitipan in front, and as a number six…Tanaboon on top form. I like the young kid from Chiangrai (Phitiwat), he’s like a machine, and he’s really professional. But right now Tanaboon has the experience. Give Phitiwat one or two years more and he will be the main player.
What are your thoughts for next season?
Of course, it is to have a better season, both personally and as a team. I think as a team we are headed in a good way to build something really big in Muangthong. If you give Gama the time and the chance he can really build something, and I hope we keep the main squad in Muangthong and build a little bit more around. You never know in Muangthong because every year we change the foreign players and only Heberty stays, so let’s see what happens there. But, it was a disappointing year for us to say the truth, but I think we had quite a good reaction in the second leg. I think it was the game against Bangkok United that changed everything – it was also lucky, but you need luck in football. But for next year – champion. We are Muangthong. I want to be on top form next year from the beginning.