Soko: ‘We must stay fully focused as promotion is the dream’
The UD Almería right-winger urges unity and concentration ahead of key game, admitting ‘reaching Primera would change my life.'
‘All of us have to be on it from the off and fully committed because we’re already in the decisive stage of the season,' stressed UD Almería winger Patrick Soko during an interview on UDA Radio, the Club's official station, where the Cameroon international spoke about various sporting and personal matters.
The player openly admits: ‘I dream of earning promotion to Primera with UD Almería. Promotion would change my life,’ although he knows there is still a long way to go. ‘Right now, the only thing that matters is Sunday’s match against Real Sociedad 'B' and trying to bag all 3 points, which is what we want,' he added.
‘We’re all very motivated and putting in the work because we’ve fit everything to play for. We can’t relax for a second here because anyone can beat us,' he added. Soko also emphasised the importance of the UDA fans: ‘We need everyone’s support. The fans are very important to us. We need them. Without them, we won’t achieve our goal.’
The 28-year-old highlighted the team's togetherness: ‘In Huesca, when we went down to 10 men, but you couldn't tell because we stuck together and supported each other. When you play like that, it’s very hard for the opponents to break you down. There was also a lot of communication on the pitch.’
The match at El Alcoraz stadium was special for him. Last season, Soko was a key player for SD Huesca, but this year he has struggled for consistent minutes at UD Almería. ‘I accept my situation. The team comes first,’ he said, before adding: ‘The head coach makes the decisions and I respect that. He knows what I can bring and I’m ready whenever he needs me. There’s a lot of competition, anyone can start, and wherever you are, you can’t relax. You have to be at 100%. If I play, I’ll give everything, whether it’s 90 minutes or 5. If I’m on the bench, I’ll support my team-mates.’
An ankle injury also affected his progress, something he accepts calmly: ‘These things happen in football. The key is to recover as quickly and as well as possible, both physically and mentally.’
The UD Almería right-winger also spoke about the passing of his father a few months ago: ‘It was very hard. I wasn’t prepared and it was difficult to accept. I’m still trying to overcome it with the help of my partner, my family and a psychologist. He was my idol. I was very close to him and I almost didn’t go to the Africa Cup of Nations. In the end, I went because it’s what he would've wanted. I know he'd be very proud of me,’ he said emotionally.