Ilya Lantratov: "It's great to be in the first team"

In an interview with the official web site, Lokomotiv's new goalkeeper Ilya Lantratov has shared his view on his future and remembered the first steps in football.

- Tell us about yourself.
- I was born in a small place called Prokhorovka in the Belgorod region. There I enrolled in a football section where my first coach was Sergey N. Bulatov. Then I was invited to play for Salyut-1995 and later for Salyut main squad. It was this team that I signed the first contract with, aged 15.

I spent three years at Salyut but then the club got in some financial trouble and last winter I left for Moscow. I got recruited by Lokomotiv-2 and spent the spring there. After eight games with the team coaches invited me to practice with the first team. And here I am, with a new contract and going to the training camp with Lokomotiv.

- So you have already spent some time with the main squad?
- Yes, ten days after the vacation and about ten practices before.

- Did Kuchuk talk to you personally?
- During the third practice he came up and asked almost the same questions - who I am, where from. Got the information. And then I just worked.

- What are your goals?
- Gotta be real: it's very hard for me to start playing at Lokomotiv, rivalry is immense - Guilherme and Abayev are really strong. Looks like I'm going to play for the U-21 team with Miroslav Lobantsev. But on the whole, it's great to be in the first team. Now I have to work and improve my skills.

- Do you feel psychologically ready for a Premier League game?
- I dream about it. It's going to be hard to play in such a game but I have to make it. It's our job to make it.