Max from FansCorners.com speaks to Liverpool loanee Tiago Ilori, the Portuguese footballer, who was born in London, came to Liverpool from Sporting on 2nd September 2013.
Max: How do you feel you’re doing at Bordeux? You’ve had a couple injuries, are you coping well?
Ilori: “I feel better everyday. It is frustrating not playing every week, but hopefully the rest of the season will be a different story.”
Max: You will be coming back to Liverpool during the summer, what will be your main aim? Will you be looking to secure a first team spot?
Ilori: “My objective is to play for Liverpool as soon as possible, but for the time being I am trying to improve on all parts of my game to have a better chance.”
Max: Many people have seen your fantastic assist against Real Betis, a 70 yard pass, which earned a win for Granada. Would you say that’s one of your strong attributes (long accurate passes)?
Ilori: “Honestly, I wouldn’t say it was a strong point. I think other parts of my game are much more effective.”
Max: I watched the game against Barcelona, where I and many others felt you did very well. How did it feel playing against the likes of Messi?
Ilori: “It was a great experience, but during the game it doesn’t matter who you’re up against. But of course the team was aware of Barcelona’s strong points and weak ones too.”
Max: How do you feel the loan at Granada was? What do you feel you need to improve on?
Ilori: “Overall it was a great experience for me. I know I can improve on everything, but one of the things I am more focused on is becoming a stronger athlete. I know it will give me a big advantage if I can become stronger and faster than everyone else.”
Max: What’s the long term plan for you at Liverpool? Do you plan to stay there for a long time?
Ilori: “My long term plan is to play and win titles for Liverpool Football Club. The team they are building can be huge, and I want to be a part of that.”
Max: Are there any defenders from the past that you’ve based your game on or tried to emulate?
Ilori: “To be honest, I admire all the best players, they are all different and can teach you different things. But I think it’s important to be yourself, because there are no two players completely alike.”
Max: Where do you see your strongest role and what would you say are your strengths?
Ilori: “I think playing, as I do, at centre back is my strongest role and I think what stands out is my speed and ‘cool’ on the ball.”
Max: Which Liverpool player are you looking forward to playing with the most?
Ilori: “I think most players would love to play with Steven Gerrard and who knows, maybe I still can.”
Max: Is it true that you broke Ronaldo’s speed record at Sporting, and if so, did Ronaldo say anything about it?
Ilori: “I have the record for a 30m sprint test they do in Sporting, but it wasn’t Ronaldo who had the record. Whether he did the test during his sporting days or not, he is a lot faster than he used to be everyone knows that!”
Big thanks to Tiago Ilori for the interview, good luck at Bordeaux for the rest of the season. We can’t wait ’til you’re back.
Max
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