As the new season kicks off we catch up with another Premier League star, this time it's Brazil international Lucas Leiva voted Liverpool fans’ Player Of The Season for 2010/11.
SoccerBible met the Samba star at the launch of the new Nike Seitiro football at Niketown, in
London’s West End. Lucas shared his thoughts on the ball, his CTR 360 boots, and Liverpool’s
ambitions this season.
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SoccerBible: You’ve been playing with the Seitiro in the Copa America. How did you find it?
Lucas Leiva: It’s a very good ball. Nike have worked very hard to improve the ball. I’m glad that
this is the official ball for the Premier League.
SB: How long does it take to adapt to a new football?
LL: Maybe 10 days. It’s important to know the ball and have confidence with it so you can strike it
with power. It might take a bit longer for a goalkeeper to get used to.
SoccerBible: What boots are you wearing this season?
LL: Nike CTR 360. They suit my game in midfield as they help with your control and passing. I wore
Mercurial Vapors before I came to England. It is very important to wear
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boots that suit your style
of play. As a professional, you need to feel comfortable in your boots and I’m lucky because I do at
the moment.
SB: Which of your Liverpool team-mates has the sweetest strike?
LL: Stevie Gerrard. He hits the ball very hard and with accuracy
SB: What are the club’s targets for the 2011/12 season?
LL: The club is moving in the right direction and we’ve signed some good new players. Our target
is to qualify for the Champions League. As a Liverpool player, you’ve got to think about winning
trophies. We have a good squad.
SB: What do you think of the signings Liverpool have made?
LL: I haven’t trained with all the guys yet as I have been in the Copa America but Adam, Downing
and Henderson have arrived from other Premier League clubs so I know they are fantastic players.
Hopefully they can play just as well – or even better – for Liverpool and improve the squad.
And I
have known Doni for a long time. We have played together in the national team and he has a lot of
experience such as being involved in the last World Cup. It's good to have another Brazilian around
and hopefully he will have a successful career here as he did at Roma.
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SB: What challenges will you face this season?
LL: All the teams in the Premier League have very good players. The big teams have more players that
can make the difference and make things difficult for their opponents.
SB: What footballers inspire you?
LL: Ronaldo and Romario are heroes for everyone in Brazil. They play great football and have the
ability to make a difference for a team.
The Nike Total 90 Seitiro is the new official ball for the Premier
League season 2011-12; tested, developed and used by the best players in
the world, for the best league in the world. You can see our full
review of the ball by clicking here,
and stay tuned for more SoccerBible interviews coming your way! Share
your thoughts with the SoccerBible community online, on Twitter and on
Facbeook.
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