Wojciech Szczesny revealed that he wasn’t too enthusiastic about being a goalkeeper when he got his start and dished on his time at Juventus in an interview with DAZN.
“I wanted to have fun and score goals. The first time I wore gloves I didn’t like it one bit, and I still don’t. I used to be a striker but I was poor and couldn’t even settle the ball. The coach was honest with me and pointed out that my father was a shot-stopper too. I tried it out and I’d say that it went pretty well. I have never had a true model because there isn’t a right way to interpret this role. Actually, I scout my colleagues to give advice to my teammates.”
The Pole faced the daunting task of succeeding Gianluigi Buffon.
“I came here at the right moment, as I still had a lot to learn but had already accumulated a ton of international experience. I felt mentally ready to handle the situation. It looked simple to me but maybe others didn’t look at it the same way. Gigi scared away a few candidates.”
Szczesny stressed the importance of having the right mentality.
“I can’t be too pumped up when I play; otherwise, something bad will happen. I try to be as relaxed as possible. I suffer more when I don’t do much during matches. The relationship with defenders is very important. You have to know their psyche too. Some need to be encouraged, other criticized. Any blunder seemed the end of the world when I was younger, but then you learn to accept them. They are part of the game and shouldn’t affect your approach too much.”
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