Sharkov: I'm glad the head coach gave me a chance
Defender Nikita Sharkov made his debut for Lokomotiv in the friendly match against Krasnodar (1:1) and shared his emotions after being called up to the training camp.
- Not so long ago, when you were a Kazanka player, you said that you dream of at least training with the first team. And a few days later, you arrive in Spain and make a debut for the first team from the start.
- I am glad that the head coach provided an opportunity to train with the players and to feel the adult level. Today I was not the only young player, the whole team was young. The match turned out to be tough. We got a draw. The guys are great, they fought to the end.
- How unexpected was the call up to the training camp for you, and what did your friend Ilya Petukhov say to you when he found out that you were flying to Spain?
- They called after Kazanka's game with Tekstilshchik and said: “You are flying with the main team to training camp in Spain”. Of course, I was delighted. I had to quickly pack my things and immediately go to the airport without any delay. Ilya was also delighted. We were always friends with him, both in the youth team and in Kazanka. He was bored here without me. So I cheered him up a little.
- Was it hard to adapt to the team and get used to it? How quickly did you start to understand what the coach wanted?
- The coach asks you to always use high press. I think those are requirements in many teams. Getting used to it is not difficult. Just playing on the left is slightly uncomfortable for me. But in order to become more experienced, each player must play in different positions.
- You were a little nervous at the beginning of the match and made a mistake. But they say that your character can help to pull yourself together during the match.
- Yes, I think, if you've already made a mistake, why should you think about it? You must continue to play. Yes, I made an inaccurate pass, put my teammates in a bad position. But you cannot stop there, you must continue to play. If you try it’s possible to turn things around and score.
- The last question from Kazanka’s press officer - Evgeny Kirillov. Why did you decide to change your hairstyle? Does Evgeny's opinion influence your choice?
- No, it was not Evgeny's opinion that influenced my decision, but mine (laughs). I wanted something new. So I took shaving machine and decided to cut my hair myself without any help.
