"I am proud to wear the shirt of a club with such a great tradition"

How old were you when you started playing football and why did you choose this sport?

I started playing football at the age of six, but to be honest, it wasn't the first sport I was introduced to. Believe it or not, I started playing chess as a kid and was quite good at it, winning several local tournaments. However, I was very chubby as a kid, so my parents made me go to football to see if I could lose weight. I know, I know, it's funny, but that's what happened. It turned out that I wasn't awkward on the football pitch and if you look at me, you'll see that I managed to lose weight in the process (laughs).

Do you miss chess? Or is that why you still play?

Yes, sometimes I still play chess, but I'm not as good as I was as a child. Nowadays football takes up most of my time.

Tell us a bit about Georgia. What do we need to know about the country you grew up in?

Georgia is a wonderful country. I would recommend anyone who hasn't been there to visit my home country if you can, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I grew up in the capital, Tbilisi, it's a bit of a chaotic city but I love it. Not as many people live there as in Budapest, but it is a very big city. Obviously everyone's home country is the best, but I really encourage everyone to visit Georgia once in their life!

Who was your childhood footballing idol?

Kaká was my favourite player, especially when he was playing for AC Milan, but I wouldn't call him a role model because I'm a defender and he was a striker. But the fact is that I loved watching him play and he was my favourite player.

You were 19 when you first moved abroad, to Hungary. How did the opportunity in Miskolc come to you at the time and how did you settle in?

Shortly before the opportunity came to Diósgyőr, we played in Hungary in the European Championship qualifiers with the U19 national team. I don't like to praise myself, but I really performed well in the national team, for example we won 4-2 against the Hungarians (Bálint Szabó, who played for the Hungarian U19 team in that 2019 European Championship qualifier - ed.). I think that tournament had a big influence on my career later on, I'm sure that's when I was noticed by the Miskolc team. Fortunately, my integration was easy, thanks to the fact that I didn't come to Miskolc from Georgia on my own, but together with a teammate from Tbilisi, Giorgis Omarashvili.

At DVTK you played mainly in the reserve team, but you also made a few appearances for the first team. What is your experience of the Hungarian league?

It's been almost 5 years since then, a lot has changed, but I have compatriots who have played here in Hungary in the past, like Beriashvili from MTK, or Zivzivadze, who I know from the national team, who used to play for Vidi. They all praised the NB I, it's a strong, physical league, which is ideal for young players like me, because we can develop a lot here.

The national team of Georgia is managed by former FC Bayern Munich star Willy Sagnol and you also made your debut for him in the senior national team. What kind of person did you know him to be and how do you remember your first national team match?

I think Sagnol is a very good coach and I will always be grateful to him for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to play for my country's national team. He puts a lot of emphasis on playing as solid a defence as possible, I think we are one of the best defensive teams in our region. This was one of the keys to our success at last summer's European Championship - because qualifying from the group was definitely a success for our team. I'll never forget my first national team game, we played against Norway and I got to see Erling Haaland's skill and physicality first hand. I can honestly say that guy is a terminator, he can go through a wall if he has to, it was extremely difficult to play against him, but it was also a great experience.

What are your plans when you came to Vidi?

First of all, I am very proud to wear the shirt of a club with such a great tradition. I want to put in a performance in training that will get me into the team, and when I'm on the pitch I want to do my best to help the club.

Have you already got to know Székesfehérvár?

Oh yes! It's a very friendly city with a beautiful city centre. It was a no-brainer that I would move here, I like the peace and quiet that Székesfehérvár has. My father has moved in with me for the time being, so I'm not alone, but I spend most of my free time relaxing and sleeping anyway. My dad never played football, but he loves it, he loves football. So for his sake alone, I want to do as well as I can for Vidi, so that he can be proud of me.