I also had a chance to play in Brazil for Vasco against Flamengo, the local rivals in Rio. So it is the sort of game the players like to play in, and I like the atmosphere, the build-up, and all the preparations throughout the week. You want to be involved in these kind of games.
In Brazil, the one who wears 10 constructs the attacks. That is what I will try to do here. The number I have at Liverpool does not give me any added pressure. The pressure I have is to play well and do my best for the team. I know that I am representing a huge club, and I want to enjoy my football.
Football is more disputed in England than it is in Italy. Every match is a very hard match because the referee doesn't blow his whistle as much as in Italy, and every team plays against each other like it is a final. I enjoy it more in England because you have to think quicker. The pace of the game is faster, so you don't have much time to think.
Football is more disputed in England than it is in Italy. Every match is a very hard match because the referee doesn't blow his whistle as much as in Italy, and every team plays against each other like it is a final.
My focus in the training sessions is always about movement to create openings and opportunities. When you don't have the ball, you still need the discipline to know where you should be, who you should be marking, but when we have the ball, it is important to be able to move around.
Where we lived was a nice residential area, but if you know Rio, you understand you can be 100 metres from a favela. It could be a little dangerous on the streets, especially at night.
It's an incredible feeling when you look across the dressing room and see Andres, Leo, Luis and Sergio Busquets, and everyone else. They are players I used to watch on TV or play with on PlayStation, and now I am sharing the same dressing room. It's incredible for me.
I see football as a bit like a stairway, and you have to climb it bit by bit. First, you have to play good football so that you get to play for a good team. Then, hopefully you achieve such a level that you are invited to play for your national side, in time for a World Cup, if possible.
