Eduardo Vargas Interview

After nearly 5 months in England we caught up with Eduardo Vargas to find out how he's adapting to life in the Premier League ...

ADAPTING to English Premier League football can be difficult for even the world’s best players.

Forward Eduardo Vargas, however, QPR’s summer loan arrival from Napoli, has hit the ground running.

Our Chilean international has discovered an altogether different problem, though – the British road network!

We sat down with Vargas ahead of Christmas Day to find out how he’s settling in to life at Loftus Road...

FIRSTLY, Eduardo, how are you – and how are you finding life in England?
I’m very well, thank you. I’m very happy in England at the moment. I love the Premier League and my family really like it here. We’re enjoying it. I’m very happy with my newly-born daughter now here and my wife speaks English, so she has been helping me a lot. In England, people are very polite, punctual and the main thing is that they respect your privacy. The culture is very different to what we’re used to in South America. You can feel normal, you can go out on the street shopping. Of course, sometimes it feels good to be recognised. And sometimes that happens, other times not. But people are very respectful.

Off the pitch, have you any stories to tell from your time here so far?
As everyone knows, you have to drive on the left-hand side of the road here. The first time I left the training ground at Harlington, I was driving on the wrong side for a while! The other cars coming in the opposite direction were flashing their lights at me. I thought, ‘What are they on about?’ But then I realised what I was doing wrong!

That’s quite a story! Back on the pitch, you’ve done well in the Premier League since moving from Italy. What have you made of our top flight so far?
Grounds here, with the supporters, the fans, are always full. The football is exactly how people describe it, too, it is very quick, very fast-paced and very physical, as well. The truth is, I feel comfortable with that type of game. I’m enjoying it. I think I have adapted to the English game very quickly. I think I’m doing well and hopefully I can continue to do so. You’re playing against the top players and learn each week, as well.

Do you feel the style of play suits you, then?
I think so. As I said, I think I have adapted quite quickly and I feel comfortable. Why? It’s because of the lifestyle, I think. It’s quite normal, that’s priceless. You can move around, go anywhere and just feel like a normal person – not a footballer. Now I’m playing on the right-hand side of midfield and I feel very comfortable playing there. I’d always been a striker. Harry Redknapp has asked me to play a little bit deeper and I’m very happy with that – I think I’m adapting very well to this position.

You currently speak only a little English. How have you been communicating with your team-mates? I know having friend and fellow Chile international Mauricio Isla here with you is a big help, isn’t it?
I’m obviously used to playing with Mauricio for Chile, who speaks Spanish. Armand [Traore] can also speak some Italian. To be honest, when I have to ask for the ball, I just whistle! My team-mates hear me whistling so they know I’m open and then they give me the ball. Charlie [Austin] and Niko [Kranjcar] already know what I’m trying to do, whether that’s a diagonal run or trying to open up space. They know that, if I whistle, I’m open.

Going back to your summer move to QPR – when you heard the club were interested in signing you, did you know anything about the club?
I knew who QPR were – I knew the name, even though I hadn’t watched any games. But I knew about QPR. My agent told me that it’s a serious club trying to put together a good squad to stay in the Premier League. I liked the sound of the challenge. We all thought that coming here was the right move to make, that it was the right option. When I was at Napoli, several team-mates told me that the Premier League would be great for my style of play since I’m quick. Mauricio [Isla] also wanted me to come to QPR and play together, like we do for Chile.

How have you found working for an English manager like Harry Redknapp?
I like him very much. This is a great experience for me. He teaches me new, different things on a weekly basis, in order for me to get better in my career.

And your thoughts on Loftus Road?
I love playing at Loftus Road, especially for the fans’ support. Whether we win or lose, they’re always there supporting the team.

You fashioned an audacious scissor-kick volley effort against Manchester City at home recently, and went extremely close to scoring in the process. Is that something that you practice in training regularly?
Well, it’s something that came to me at that moment when I saw that I had the time, no-one was marking me and I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s give this a try’. It was almost good!

Of course, you got off the mark in our marginal defeat to Liverpool at Loftus Road in mid-October.
I thought I wasn’t going to get a chance that day as a substitute. I was warming up and looking at the clock ticking down. You always want to get your chance against the big clubs. It was beautiful to score. Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything from the game that day.

But performances have been vastly improved since then, haven’t they? While our home form has been very good. Are you confident we are strong enough to survive?
Yes, I think we are. We are a newly-formed team with lots of players having recently joined. Obviously, me and Mauricio don’t speak any English and it’s difficult to speak on the pitch. But we’re all getting to know each other, there are quality players and I hope we can stay in the Premier League.

How are you going to spend your Christmas? There’s obviously the small matter of Arsenal away on Boxing Day…
I think it’s just going to be a quiet one. Training and dinner with my wife, daughter and her godfather. It’ll have to be a quiet one so I’m ready for the game. I’m now used to being away from Chile without my whole family, although this Christmas is going to be a bit different because there’ll be a game.

Of course, you must be used to a winter break?
Yes. Playing is strange. But we’re going to have to concentrate and put the festivities to one side. We’ll be playing and we’ll try our best – we’ll have to work. It’s our job and we have to do our best for the team.

Just finally, Eduardo, have you asked Santa for anything in particular?
All I can ask him is to bring QPR some good luck so that we can stay in the Premier League. We’ll try our best to do that. I hope he sends some luck our way! I love playing here. I love the English style of football. I’m on loan but I’m hoping that I can do enough to stay here.

Read more at http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/q...ue-interview-2162501.aspx#qhT3zwsvj8itQcph.99

 

I liked the last line in that interview.