- It is not every day that a coach arrives from the Premier League to the Hungarian first division. How did Vidi come into picture for you?

– Henning Berg has long since known one of the leaders of the PhD training, who by the way works part time for Liverpool. My name came up in conversation when the topic turned to finding someone to join the coaching team at Videoton FC. I then met up with the manager for a chat in England, which I must say was a big thing for me.

– You have worked for some very serious clubs despite your young age. You did this without actually having a professional playing career. Was there any chance of ever becoming a footballer?

– Not really, as coaching always interested me more. I played football but not for a professional clubs youth side, but as a hobby in the local leagues. If I am honest, it quickly became evident that I would not be good enough to be a professional sportsman, which is why my interest turned to sports research and fitness within that.

– I am sure you have a favourite team?
– Naturally! My whole family are Liverpool supporters.

– How did they handle the fact that you worked for Everton?
– It did not cause any problems (laughter). They knew that it was an important step in my career, and I really did develop a lot at Everton.

–  Liverpool were preparing for the Europa League final a couple of weeks ago. You will be helping to coach the Videoton players as they prepare for the Europa League qualifiers. It is quite a difference.

– Imagine that a club like Liverpool has everything in place. It is not too much of a challenge as everthing has its own system in place, and there is not too much you can add individually. At the same time the pressure on everyone from the first day is massive. You work with players of fantastic ability, and have to give your maximum from morning to evening in order that you are accepted. This will not change in Hungary, as I will be working every minute to make sure that Vidi become a better team. The responsibility on me in Szekesfehervar will be greater, and I was really looking forward to a role like this. I could not see too much potential for moving forward while I was at Liverpool. The change came easily, as I really do see it as a big chance to work here. To really feel the difference is summed up by the fact that I was part of a 5 man fitness team in England. I will be solely responsible in this area at Videoton.

– It appears as if the role at Vidi will be a 0-24 hour job.
– Yes, but do not tell my girlfriend (laughter)! There is a lot of work ahead for me, but I am ready for the role.

– Will she be moving to Hungary?
– Yes, she will be here by the weekend. She was a bit sceptical at first, but her opinion quickly changed once she had a look at the country. I am looking forward to her arriving.

– You will continue studying besides your work as you are currently doing your Phd at the John Moore University. Why did you apply to study a Phd?

– I wanted to educate myself even more and I felt that I did not know everything, which I require. That is slowly coming to an end, but there is still plenty to learn. I focus mainly on the training load and nutrition. We also looked at the amount of energy a professional player consumes over a week, while also taking into consideration the amount of load that they are under. I am thinking here about the amount of movement, speed and quality. I really do want to continue developing, and this Phd is another step, as is working for Videoton.