A few days after his arrival in London, United’s starlet talked to Edgar Acero and Kristel Valencia of FutbolMLS about his initial experience with Tottenham Hotspur. The 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year will train with the Barclays Premier League club until December 10.
What are your thoughts about training with one of the biggest clubs in England, and playing alongside world class players?
First of all, I want to thank God for the privilege of being here. It has always been a dream of mine to come to England, and I am happy for the opportunity and I am working hard. [Tottenham] is a team with excellent players, there is definitely another level of play here. That will help me improve my game-rhythm and I hope everything goes the way I want.
Tell us a about how you got this training opportunity.
I had spoken to my agent before, and he told me that there was a chance of coming here during the offseason. I finally got the opportunity, so here I am. Now I have to take advantage of this. Even though this is only a training period for me, I still need to leave a good impression.
What are the major differences you noticed in your first few days, between training with D.C. United and training with Tottenham?
Football is different here, it’s faster. This will help me improve my technique, become quicker with the ball, and think faster when I have the ball. That is the major difference with United.
Being alongside top players such as Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart, what qualities strike you the most and what would you like to learn from those individuals?
I was really impressed with Gareth Bale since I first saw him. I also have a great admiration for Van der Vaart. I really like Bale’s game because he plays in the same position as me but on the left side. It will be a great experience for me to learn a little bit from them and also leave a good impression here.
After looking at those quality players, what aspects of your game do you feel you need to improve?
Everybody has a different way of playing. I simply need to prepare well physically, I think that is the only thing I’m missing. I think I already have the other stuff.
You rounded out a good year in 2011, making your debut with the Honduran National Team. How has that experience helped you prepare for training in England?
The National Team is also on another level. They have a different way of playing and different players. It is more like the football style I like to play, and that has helped me grow and mature. I think the opportunity I had with the National Team was great for my self-confidence, and it was vital for my next step, to train here in England.
You had to make a very important decision this year, committing to the Honduran National Team and not waiting for the USMNT. Are you happy with your decision?
Yes, I am happy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t included in the last call-up, but I am very happy with the decision I made.
When you spent time with the Honduran National Team, what kind of conversations did you have with your Head Coach regarding future call-ups?
The communication with the rest of the squad was excellent. I didn’t have too much contact with [Head Coach] Luis Suarez, but I asked him about the team and what he expected of me, and he told me that his idea was for me to be in the U-23 roster.
So, is the Honduran Federation’s plan to have you rotate between the senior team and the U-23’s to give you more international experience?
Yes, that too. That way, I can gain more confidence being with the National Team and keep improving; taking advantage of the opportunities I’m presented with each day. I can learn something from each call-up.
Turning our attention back to England, how has your experience been in London? What have you done, and what places have you visited?
I’ve been to downtown London – it’s a very beautiful city. It has always been my dream to know this place, and I thank God for the opportunity. I am very surprised with the way people live here; it’s very different from the U.S. It feels weird, like I am living a dream. I hope everything goes well.
How long have you been there? Are you used to the time change yet?
I still haven’t gotten used to it. I hope I do so tonight, because I’ve been going to sleep around 4-5 a.m. [laughs].
Even though D.C. United didn’t make the MLS Cup Playoffs this year, there are high expectations regarding what the team can achieve in 2012. What are your thoughts?
We expect to have a new squad next year. We hope that every new player that comes leaves everything for the team so we can achieve something next season. This past season wasn’t that bad, but we couldn’t reach our goal of making the playoffs. We hope and have faith that we will be there [in the playoffs] next year.
