Manuel Pablo: "Eibar demand everything you can give"

Owing to the one of the most exciting games of the 22nd matchday of the Liga BBVA, the RC Deportivo - SD Eibar fixture, LFP.es wanted to find out the thoughts of the oldest player in the championship. That is Manuel Pablo (Arucas, Gran Canaria, 1976), a defender with the Galician side who spoke to us about the key aspects of the game and what personal significance it holds for him.

LFP.es: This weekend you face an old rival, Eibar. How are you approaching the match?
Manuel Pablo: This is a very important match because we are playing at home and also because we can reduce their lead over us. We hope to get the points because we are enjoying a good spell at the moment, a little tarnished with the defeat against FC Barcelona, and we hope to continue our success.

LFP.es: What do you remember about the clashes against the Basque side last season?
Manuel Pablo: I remember that the games were hard-fought, like every game against Eibar. They demand everything you can give, both physically and with regard to concentration. They are a side who fight for games right up until the final whistle and I believe that the game on Friday will be no different.

LFP.es: Over the last few games, Deportivo managed to get an important win against Rayo, a draw against Granada, would getting a result from this match be an important step towards staying up?
Manuel Pablo: Yes, the important thing now is to get three points because the match against Granada got away from us in the dying minutes. These are sides that we have to fight against to secure our aim and a victory would give us breathing space to approach the complicated games that will come afterwards.

"Celso Borges is a player who passes very well and who is very complete as a centre-half" 

LFP.es: The arrival of Celso Borges has given the team a lot of hope with his two goals in the last game against Rayo. What do you think he can contribute to the team? 

Manuel Pablo: He is a player who passes very well and who is very complete as a centre-half. He steals the ball, he plays and he is already formed player. He is an international team member, and you can see that he has experience. What we need from him is what he did against Rayo, just like Oriol Riera. They are players who give everything from the outset and they are two signings who are going to contribute a lot whenever necessary.

LFP.es: On a personal level, in view of your large amount of experience, what is your role in the dressing room? Do the younger players come to you for advice?
Manuel Pablo: I try to encourage a good team atmosphere and keeping people calm, especially when things are not going well. It is important to keep the group together and that everyone is aware that they could have an important role to play at any moment. The youngest players talk to me and sometimes I correct them, I always try to help them with tactical matters which is the area they tend to lack most experience.

"I help my team mates with tactical matters but on a day to basis I train with them like any other squad member would"

LFP.es: Is the lack of playing team useful for you to direct your professional career down a different route, towards coaching for example? 

Manuel Pablo: Yes. I have moving more into that area over the last few years. As I was saying, I help my team mates with tactical matters but on a day to day basis I train with them like any other squad member would. I still want to compete at a high level and be a role model to my team mates but it is true that the coach talks more to me and it is something that increasingly attracts me.

LFP.es: ¿What is it like to work with Víctor Fernández?
Manuel Pablo: He is a coach who uses quite modern methods and we like that. We enjoy having dynamic training sessions and the fact that the quality of the players is worked on.

LFP.es: Do you have anything you still want to do as a footballer? What is your best memory from your career at Deportivo?
Manuel Pablo: There are always things ahead of me but I am happy with myself, not only on a personal level, but also on a collective level, providing an example for young people. I have very good memories, but perhaps the year we won the Liga BBVA, and the party at the Riazor, that is one of the things that I will always remember. Winning the league is very complicated and we managed it. Another thing that really pleased me, one of the most difficult things, was the last promotion, as the club was going through a very difficult moment and what happened meant that we could get a little breathing space. It was very liberating for us all to be promoted.