00:00Georgie, this is the first time we're speaking to you. Welcome to Liverpool.
00:03What's it like wearing that badge on your chest and finally being a Liverpool player?
00:07Yeah, thank you. Happy. I'm very excited to be here. It's a huge moment for me because
00:13joining a club like Liverpool, it's not only transfer, it's a dream come true for me and
00:19I feel ready, motivated and proud. You agreed to move to Liverpool last summer.
00:25How did that moment feel then and how did it feel now to sign that contract and be here?
00:30Yes, you know, when I agreed on Liverpool's offer last summer, I felt that something big
00:36was big in my life but now I truly understood what it means to be a Liverpool player.
00:43Since you've joined, it's been a hugely difficult time for the club with the passing of Diego Jota
00:48and Andre Silva. How much of the squad you've joined come together and support each other
00:52and yourself and all the new sign-ins?
00:55Yes, when I first arrived here, it was a really tough moment for the club. But everyone here
01:03has supported each other and I see here is like a big family and we are not just a team.
01:12We are people who care about each other.
01:16You never played with Diogo but you actually played against him at the Euros so you know
01:21how good of a player he is. But seeing all the tributes at Anfield around the world, that
01:25also shows you how good a person he was too, doesn't it?
01:28Yes, I didn't have a chance to play with him but I played against him at Euro 2024. So I
01:36saw how amazing a player he was. But I saw stories, messages and the loss from people around him
01:50and I can see how amazing a person he was as well off the pitch.
01:55You're here after following Liverpool closely last season, I'm sure. It was quite a good season to follow them, wasn't it?
02:02Yes, of course. I watched all games with a different feeling like I was already part of the team.
02:08What did watching the title win and the celebrations that followed, what was that like and did it make you even more excited to become a Liverpool player?
02:17Yes, of course it was amazing seeing the fans, how they are celebrating together. It was like a reminder to how much it means Liverpool to so many people.
02:30You're the first Georgian to represent Liverpool. How proud of you are you of that fact and what will it mean to all the people back home?
02:38Yes, of course I'm very proud to be the first Georgian player for Liverpool and I know how much it means for my family and Georgian people as well.
02:52What was the reaction like back in Georgia when this deal was announced last summer?
02:56Yes, I'll never forget this day when I signed a contract with Liverpool. It was amazing in Georgia, so many messages received and everyone was so happy.
03:07I was so happy and excited.
03:09Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a Liverpool player coming through football in Georgia then moving to Spain as a 20 year old?
03:16I'm sure a lot of hard work has gone in to get to this point.
03:20Yes, of course my journey started in Georgia on small pitches there. I played in first league three years and step by step I became part of the national team. At 20 I had the opportunity to go to Spain and there I started my totally new life, new language, new culture, new people and first year was really tough for me in Wales.
03:48Yes, I read when you went to Valencia you couldn't speak any Spanish and then four years later you were a really important player there. How much did you develop and make you the person you are now?
03:58When I first arrived here in Valencia, Valencia played a really huge role in my life because I didn't speak Spanish, I didn't speak English and as I told you my first year there was really tough but then I quickly understood if I want to play I had to learn, I had to adapt and I had to work on myself every single day.
04:27And now I am here in the biggest club in Premier League history.
04:32Your goalkeeper coach at Valencia actually worked at Liverpool in the past, did he tell you anything about what to expect here?
04:37Yes, of course, Oceto is an amazing person and an amazing coach. Actually he was one of the first with whom I talked about Liverpool's offer and he directly told me just sign the contract because he knows how big a club is Liverpool and so I just want to tell him thank you, thank you for everything and I hope to see you on Oceto.
05:02Very nice. I'm sure you want to keep developing as a goalkeeper though and that's why you've joined Liverpool to take the next step in your career.
05:09Yes, of course, of course I want, when I was a child I watched always some videos on YouTube and some videos of goalkeepers and I remember some Liverpool goalkeepers as well.
05:22I remember James Dudek and then Pepe Reina and now Alisson Becker. So Liverpool has a big goalkeeper legacy and I want to try to write my own chapter in this goalkeeper's legacy.
05:37Yeah, you are joining a really talented goalkeeping unit here at Liverpool, led by Alisson. How much do you admire him?
05:44Yeah, of course, what I can tell about Ali, he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now and I'm so happy I have to work with him.
05:53Yeah, just how excited are you to learn from one of the best in the world on a daily basis?
05:58Yeah, I can't wait to start to work with him and learn from him.
06:02But you'll also be looking to play and provide competition with the squad. Is that a challenge you're looking forward to competing against some of the best in the world?
06:09Yes, of course, it will be a challenge. I like challenges and I'm here just to give my best and help the team.
06:16You came to the attention of quite a lot of football fans during Euro 2024 when you played so well.
06:21But for those who haven't seen you before all that much, can you tell us what type of goalkeeper you are?
06:28I don't like too much talking about myself but I think I'm a very calm, concentrated goalkeeper and I'm very fast and quickly on the goal.
06:39You'll have spoken to Arna Slott and the staff here when the deal was announced last summer and now. What have they said to you in the time you've been here?
06:47Yeah, when I first arrived here I met him and I'm very excited to work with one of the best coaches in the world.
06:55Pre-season started, you played 45 minutes against Preston. First time in front of Liverpool fans. How did that feel and the reception they gave you?
07:03Yeah, first time in front of Liverpool fans. It was a really proud moment in my life and it gave me real motivation to keep improving, keep developing and give everything for this club.
07:19What do you hope to achieve here at Liverpool yourself and as a group, as a team?
07:25I know and I think everybody knows this club has big ambitions and I want to be a part of that journey.
07:34And just finally, do you have a message to the Liverpool supporters or Georgian people who are watching or reading this interview?
07:40Yes, of course. I know the responsibilities that comes with wearing this shirt. This page means so much to so many people and I'm here just to give my best in every training session, every match to help the team and earn the trust of our fans.
08:01And I do like to tell a few words of Georgian.
08:06Thank you very much for your time.
08:09I am the Wired Quake and I am the Wired Quake and I am the Wired Quake.
08:14I am the Wired Quake and I am the Wired Quake.
