Celta open the doors to the Madroa to LFP.es (II)

The name on his passport, Manuel Agudo Durán (b. 15-10-1986), probably means nothing to a Liga BBVA goalkeeper. But his warrior name, ‘Nolito’, puts every keeper on the alert. He says that FC Barcelona and SL Benfica helped him grow as a footballer, but in his heart he wears light blue: “At Celta I have always felt wanted”.

LFP.es: UD Algaida, Atlético Sanluqueño, Écija Balompié, FC Barcelona and FC Barcelona B, SL Benfica, Granada CF and RC Celta. With respect to all the clubs where you have played, what did Barcelona and Benfica give you?
Nolito: At Barcelona I improved a lot and I learned many things. I started to see football differently there, because they made me see it differently. It helped me a lot to get where I am now. At Benfica the same thing happened, though there were bad times, because in the second year I didn’t play much. But all that made me grow in my career, because it’s true that you learn from everything, whether good or bad.

LFP.es: Does a Spanish footballer need to go abroad to grow even more?
Nolito: No, I don’t necessarily think you have to go abroad if you’re content in Spain. I see it as a personal decision for each player. If I can be in Spain for my entire sporting career, I will, because I prefer it. But if I had to go overseas again, I would.

"If I’m at home somewhere, there’s no reason to leave, whether it’s Celta, Bayern or Barcelona"

LFP.es: Arriving at Granada and Celta, where the objectives are different to those of Barcelona or Benfica, does it make you feel more important?
Nolito: It’s a big change, because when you play for Barcelona B, for Barcelona or Benfica, you win virtually everything, and at Granada and Celta you have to fight for other objectives, which could be to avoid relegation. But in the end it’s all football, which is what I like and what I want to do, regardless of the objective you’re fighting for.

LFP.es: What has Celta given Nolito?
Nolito: Many things, but above all, trust. I have felt very wanted since the first day I arrived. The chairman, the manager, the head coach... they all backed me. And I have to appreciate that. If I’m at home somewhere, there’s no reason to leave, whether it’s Celta, Bayern or Barcelona. I’m also enjoying my work, which is what I want.

LFP.es: What does this team have to make people believe in it?
Nolito: It has desire, youth, and it wants to do things well. We’re a team that wants to play attractive football and stand up to any team in the Liga BBVA, which I think is the best league in the world, with very good sides.

"I noticed the way Ronaldo finished, when he was at Barcelona, and Romario"

LFP.es: A striker earns his living through goals and that’s how he’s judged; is it unfair?
Nolito: Yes, I think it’s unfair. A striker does many things apart from scoring goals. We fight with the defenders, the centre backs, the pivot, whatever presents itself. You might be playing poorly, but you score a goal and people will say you’ve played well, or vice versa. From the inside, we respect the work of Charles or Larrivey, for instance - they do a huge amount of work for the team.

LFP.es: Who is or was your idol as a striker?
Nolito: I noticed the way Ronaldo finished, when he was at Barcelona. He is and was my idol, though I also watched Romario, how he finished and how relaxed he was...

LFP.es: Have you scored your dream goal yet?
Nolito: I don’t think so, but every goal I score makes me happy. That goal would be playing for something important for Celta, helping the team achieve something important. That would be amazing.

"Perhaps if I was called Nolitinho and I was Brazlian, who knows? But honestly, it doesn’t bother me" 

LFP.es: Does being a Spanish striker make life difficult for a player, seen as clubs tend to look to the foreign market for players in that position?
Nolito: Yes, I think that’s often true. Perhaps if I was called Nolitinho and I was Brazlian, who knows? But honestly, it doesn’t bother me; I am very proud to be Spanish, Andalusian and from Cadiz. I just play football, try to help the team by doing my job, and I try to be happy. You have to be there every day and turn up at training with a smile.

LFP.es: What place in the table are Celta aiming for this year and how many goals would make you happy?
Nolito: Rather than say a place, what I want is for the team to be safe as early as possible, and God willing, we can enjoy ourselves, because we have the ability to play good football. But we can’t relax for a moment. And goals? I’d like to score more than ten.