An interview with Emiliano Marcondes, By Callum McFadden for WFi.
You started your career at FC Nordsjælland and had a successful time at the club by qualifying for Europe and winning the Danish Player of the Year award. How special was your time at the club?
“My time at FC Nordsjælland was a great time and one of the most successful periods of my career so far.
“I enjoyed every minute of playing for the club and winning player of the year meant a lot to me.
“There was interest in me after that season and I moved to Brentford shortly after which was a big move for me.”
You moved to Brentford in 2017 and won promotion to the Premier League with the club via the Playoffs in 2021. What was it like to work under Thomas Frank and achieve such a promotion?
“It was an incredible achievement to win promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs.
“Walking out at Wembley for the final against Swansea was a day that I will always remember.
“The game itself could not have worked out any better for me and the club. We won 2-0 and Ivan Toney scored the opening goal before I scored the second.
“I was also awarded man of the match which meant a lot to me too given the magnitude of the game and what promotion meant to the club.
“To date, that match is the best one-time success of my life. It was an unforgettable day because it was always my dream to reach the Premier League when I arrived in England.”
You had a spell on loan at FC Midtjylland from Brentford and won the Danish title in 2020. What was that experience like?
“That move happened as I had to return to Denmark for family reasons, so it made sense to be playing football while I did that.
“We achieved success in the league championship, so it was a good loan even if it was only ever going to be a short-term move.”
You signed for Bournemouth in 2021 and were part of the team who were promoted to the premier league in 2022. What was the key to that success?
“I signed for Bournemouth from Brentford following promotion to the Premier League.
“Going back to the Championship did not phase me as I believed that we could have a successful season which we did by winning promotion to the Premier League automatically by finishing as runners-up.
“Winning back-to-back promotions to the Premier League meant a lot to me because gaining promotion from the Championship is notoriously difficult.
“Scott Parker was fantastic to work under because he pushed us every single day in training to become better players and he helped us gain the extra margins to be successful.”
You have signed for Hibernian until the end of the season on loan. What are your aims in the coming months?
“I am happy to have joined Hibs until the end of the season because I want to play as many games as I can and show everyone what I can do.
“I am determined to do well for the club, and I hope to score some goals during my time here.”
Finally, Emiliano, who would you pick out as the best players that you have played with and your toughest opponents?
“That is such a difficult question to answer as I have been fortunate to play with many top players.
“However, I would have to pick out Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. They are two of the best strikers in the Premier League who are also playing for England at national level.
“Neal Maupay and Dominic Solanke were also impressive strikes that I played alongside.
“In regard to my toughest direct opponent, it would have to be Virgil Van Dijk. He is quick, strong, comfortable on the ball and does not give you a moment to think.
“Another player that I would pick out would be Hulk. I faced him when he was playing for Zenit Saint Petersburg and he was such a strong player with great ability and speed to hurt his opponents.”
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