Vermaelen impressed with Roma after loan-move
Thomas Vermaelen says he is delighted with the warm welcome he has received and is impressed by the quality of the team. after joining Roma from Barcelona on a season-long loan.
00:00:00:00 SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Vermaelen, Roma defender:
"I think we, in the dressing room there's a good atmosphere. I had a warm welcome from all the players. Of course I know some players, they are familiar faces to me, so that makes it easier and, the training is going well as well. I am very impressed with the quality this team has. I am very happy with the game already played because I just started a pre-season and for me it's good to have some game time as well and, but so far it is going very well."
00:00:34. 06 SOUNDBITE: (English) Thomas Vermaelen, Roma defender:
"Yeah, at the moment I feel good, so I have no problems at all. Of course I started pre-season, I think from now.... two weeks ago, or something like that, almost two weeks ago. So, I tried to work to get better and better. As you said, I played in the Euros,which was good for me to get in some sort of a rhythm. I think that's very important for players to get your game time in and that's where you get fitter and fitter and, of course I had my issues the last two years.... for some reason and.... as I said, I hope to get as many games, as I can because that's the only way I think where you can get fitter and fitter and if you get in some sort of a rhythm, and that's very important for me."
00:01:26:11 SOUNDBITE: (English) Thomas Vermaelen, Roma defender (on Roma's UEFA Champions League play-off round tie against Porto):
"Yeah, of course there is, pressure on these games. They are very important for the club and for us as a player. Everybody wants to play in the Champions League, but, I mean I think there are a lot of players who (are) used to play under pressure. I mean they used to play games like these before. I had to play with Arsenal a couple of times the play-off for Champions League and you realise that they are so important and, there's lots of pressure on it, but that's why, why you're here and that's why you have to deal with it, as a football player if you play at top level there. So, that is no excuse.... for next week and, we just have to go into these games with lot of confidence and try to beat the Porto."
Source:pSNTV/p