SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: The chance to play for Real Mardid too good to miss, says Jerzy Dudek
- 00:02:23
- ITN Source
SPAIN: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: The chance to play for Real Mardid too good to miss, says Jerzy Dudek
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek said the chance to play for Spanish champions Real Madrid was an opportunity he could not let pass, as he was presented as their new player on Friday (July 20). "When I left Liverpool I thought I would never get the chance to play for a big team again, a team with such good players. But then I finished my contract and Real showed interest to sign me. First I was surprised when Real approached me, but then I thought I'll do it because they might need an experienced goalkeeper to compete with Iker Casillas. It was a difficult decision but all my friends from Liverpool and my Spanish friends, everyone told me you can't say no to Real Madrid," Dudek told a news conference. The 34-year-old Polish international, who famously helped Liverpool win the Champions League final against AC Milan in 2005 with his 'rubber legs' penalty saves, only played a handful of games for the club after that match. The arrival of Pepe Reina relegated him to the bench at Anfield, and in moving to the Spanish capital as a free agent he now appears set for a similar experience behind another Spaniard, Casillas. The Spain keeper's former understudy Diego Lopez has left to join Villarreal but Dudek was positive about his chances of playing. "I know it is difficult to fight against a goalkeeper like Casillas but everyone has their own ambitions. Maybe I just have to help the team, be a 100 per cent professional - I respect Iker Casillas very much," the Polish player said. Duker told reporters that his first job is to work hard and impress the coach, to see how well he does. "We never know what might happen. I need to be ready in case something happens. I had a good relation with Pepe Reina, we became friends really quickly and I hope to have the same thing with Iker. Big clubs like Real Madrid need two good goalkeepers and it is difficult to say whether I will be number one or number two," he added. Dudek, who has won more than 50 caps for Poland, spent six years with Liverpool after joining them from Feyenoord in 2001. He is Real's fourth signing of the close season after defenders Christoph Metzelder and Pepe, and Argentine striker Javier Saviola. New coach Bernd Schuster leads the squad to Austria on Sunday for their pre-season training camp in Irdning.
ITN Source | July 21, 2007
