The young and promising newcomer of Kharkiv’s Metalist 1925, Ramik Hadzhiev, whose previous club was Dnipro-1, spoke about the interest in him from Kyiv’s Dynamo and Zhytomyr’s Polesie.
— How are you feeling now? It was reported that you signed a contract with Metalist 1925 while having a back injury.
— The situation has improved. I went through rehabilitation, and soon I will be in the main group. I continue to work with rehabilitators and everything will be fine.
— Did the option with Metalist 1925 come up then?
— No. It was from the very beginning back in June. The Kharkiv people were among the first to reach out.
— And did the interest from Dynamo and Polesie fade over time?
— I can't say for sure, I consulted people who are knowledgeable in this matter, and they convinced me that Metalist 1925 is the best option for me at the moment.
— Was the presence of several former Dnipro players in Metalist 1925 an additional factor for you?
— Indeed, it was easier for me to adapt in the team due to the presence of former partners, but the main reason is my back problems and I was looking for a team that was ready to heal me and invest in my future. We discussed all these questions, and I liked everything. I fully believe in the Metalist 1925 project. Everything is here to win and develop.
— During the summer transfer window, there were rumors about interest in your services from Polesie and Dynamo; is that true?
— Offers came from both Dynamo and Polesie, but at that time I wanted to try myself in Europe, to go for a trial and test my abilities. That's how it was: first Brentford, then Derby.
— Can you tell more about those trials?
— I arrived at Brentford after finishing the youth Euro U-19, where I played for the national team. I flew from Ireland to London for the trial. The first impressions were wonderful: the facilities, the fields, the infrastructure — everything was at an incredible level. The people were very nice; they welcomed me well. It didn’t feel like I was at a trial; they treated me as one of their own. The training was intense, and the level of the guys was good. But not in the way some might think that they are crazy good and very strong, and that Ukrainians are far behind them. In reality — no, our youth teams could compete with the English teams.
— What happened next?
— I was with the team for two weeks, everything was good, the coach praised me, was very pleased with me and wanted me to stay. After the trial, I expected a response, and I was informed that there was a problem with registration. The season in England had already started, and as a foreign player, I had a separate category because I didn’t play enough games for the national team. Brentford didn’t have any extra spots for me, and they couldn’t register me.
— Was the situation with Derby similar? Did you not transition because of a registration issue?
— No, the situation was different there. The trial lasted only 5 days; I didn’t play in my position because I was placed as a defensive midfielder, although I am an attacking player. In the end, the coach said that they had younger and more promising players than me, and he didn’t want me to take their playing time.
— Were there other offers from foreign teams?
— Maybe there were, but they were sent to the agent, and I know nothing about it. After Derby, I didn’t want to go anywhere else since it was already late September. Besides, at that time, I had back problems.
Igor Lysenko