Oleksandr Shovkovsky: “Goalkeeper has no right to make a mistake. Sometimes it becomes a big burden ... "

28.02.2019 14:31

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

We would like to bring to your attention the second part of the answer of the assistant Andrey Shevchenko in the coaching staff of the national team of Ukraine, Alexander Shovkovsky, to the questions of the fans on FFU YouTube Channels.

- Alexander, did you think in your youth that you would spend your entire career at Dynamo?

- No, of course, I did not think so. I just wanted to play and enjoy the game. The most important thing for me was to get pleasure from it, just to have this game in my life. I did not set any goals. But, on the other hand, I did not think about who I will be in the future. The main thing was to do your favorite thing.

- What season in your career do you consider the best for yourself - and why?

"It's hard to turn." There were many of them. In 1998-1999, when we successfully played in the Champions League. I remember 2005-2006, when we went to the World Cup and then played in Germany. The last two seasons were remembered - then Dynamo won the championship and the Cup twice in a row under the leadership of Serhiy Rebrov. Much can be mentioned ...

- Which forward can you call the most dangerous?

- I did not single out anyone, but I understood who we would play against, I studied the strengths of the opponent. I played against great players - Shearer, Keane, Beckham, Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane, Del Piero, Vieira, Vieri, Mateus, Caen, Basler ... This list goes on. I'm glad I had such games and such rivals.

- Name the best qualities of the current goalkeepers of our national team.

- I will not do it. We are one team that does one thing together. I will only say that for the goalkeeper, the psychological state and confidence that he conveys to the whole team are of great importance. This is an important quality that any goalkeeper should have, especially if we are talking about national team goalkeepers.

- At what age did you decide to become a goalkeeper?

- They decided for me (smiles). Like all children, I wanted to be a striker, to score goals. But my data and lack of speed played a role. I was a midfielder, then a defender and ended up in the goal. It happened when I was 10 years old.

For as long as I can remember, I was always with the ball before school. And in the section of ZhEK "Seagull" on Obolon my first trainer was Grigory Matienko. We played against Dynamo, beat them, and after that I was invited to Dynamo school.

- Who do you think is the best goalkeeper in the world of all time?

- It will not be quite correct to compare so. I would single out goalkeepers for generations. Earlier they were Yashin, Bannikov, Chanov, Dasaev, Mikhailov. Then, when it became possible to watch the game of goalkeepers from other countries, he singled out Schumacher, Kahn, Kepke, van der Sar, Buffon, Casillas, Subisaret. There were many great goalkeepers. Now Neuer and De Gea are playing at a good level. There are a lot of great goalkeepers, it is wrong to single someone out.

- Have the requirements for goalkeepers changed compared to the times when you were just starting to play?

- Yes, everything has changed a lot. Now the goalkeeper can't take the ball in his hands after the pass back. He must be able to play well with his feet. The goalkeeper became a full-fledged 11th player who participates in the organization of his team's attacks. The goalkeeper tells a lot. The speed has increased, he sees everything and must prompt to fully organize the game in defense. Requirements for keepers are growing and changing.

- Who is better for you - Messi or Ronaldo?

- I will say this: Messi is a talent from God. Everyone enjoys his game. Speaking of Ronaldo, he also has data, but he worked harder to improve it and become the Ronaldo we all know. This also deserves respect. I am proud of both players. They have achieved a lot and made football interesting. But I like the way the Argentine behaves on the field. They try to throw him off balance, but he manages to control himself better than the Portuguese.

- If your life was a movie, what would it be called?

"Everything is in your hands."

- What are the main features of the goalkeeper's psychology?

- The goalkeeper has no right to make a mistake. Sometimes it becomes a great burden. Especially when you go out to play in a team that faces high goals. Psychology is of paramount importance to the goalkeeper. It comes with confidence, but it is important to set priorities.

- How to become a good goalkeeper?

- Never doubt yourself and work hard. And always learn - from your mistakes, from the mistakes of others - and analyze everything that happens to you. To play at the highest level, you need to be able to analyze, perceive the information provided by the head coach, and realize your potential, have discipline, do what you do not want to achieve the goal.

- Which of the players you played against had the most powerful blow?

- Probably the name of Roberto Carlos.