Adam Mitchell vs El Niche Cache
Adam Mitchell's a young kiwi footy player out there doing his thing with Bolton Wanderers and, being a good chap and all, he went and answered a few questions for The Niche Cache...
G'day Adam, before we start, gotta say congrats on extending that deal with Bolton through the rest of the season. What's the plan from here? Just a matter of convincing the club to get you locked down long term?
Cheers, appreciate it. That’s exactly the plan, to perform well enough to extend my stay here on a long term basis. With Bolton previously being a successful Premier League club the aim here is to reach that achievement again. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to be a part of that success.
So before Bolton, you actually spent some time with Serbian mega-club Red Star Belgrade. A) How'd you wrangle that contract!? and B) What was the experience like with such a massive European club, even if it didn't go the way you'd have hoped in terms of playing time?
To be a part of a European giant - and previous Champions League winner - such as Red Star Belgrade was a huge step in my playing career. This was my first professional contract after playing all my previous years in NZ. I’d been offered the chance to trial after the Under-20 World Cup, a chance to change my career. I had a month’s trial at Red Star which also involved myself playing 25 minutes against another huge European team, Olympiakos, in front of near full stadium in Belgrade. Directly after the match I was offered a contract starting in the 2016/17 season.
At the start of the season, being an international import, the club and myself decided it would be beneficial to go on loan to another big club in Serbia, OFK Belgrade. Playing 8 games over 2 1/2 months was my first real experience playing in Europe. As tough as it was, it was also very rewarding as I had improved and managed my playing style. After the loan I spent a few more months at Red Star but by this stage more international imports had been bought and I saw myself finding game time hard to come by. My decision was to leave and look for regular game time in Europe.
What discernible differences have you found between footy in Eastern Europe (Serbia & Slovenia) and in England? (Feel free to compare them to Aotearoa as well, if you want...)
The main differences I’ve found from Eastern Europe to England are mainly the pace of the game here and how physically demanding it is. At my previous clubs more time was spent on the tactical/technical side of the game, which was beneficial coming from a country like NZ since I was playing men’s football from the age of 15 at Central United.
In a sentence or two, describe yourself as a footballer. What are your best attributes, what needs work, etc.
I like to think of myself as a ball-playing centre back who can read the game well. Obviously playing in England now more of my physical attributes have been portrayed and I’ve also improved in this area since joining Bolton.
As a player still on the come-up as a professional, what sacrifices do you find yourself making to give yourself the best chance of this as a long-term career and what drives and inspires you to keep on living for it?
Leaving NZ at a young age was obviously hard but it was the best decision I have made so far. To strive as a successful professional footballer you have to make sacrifices, and coming from the other side of the world makes it even harder. But being able to say you play football for a living is an accomplishment and something I’m proud of. Obviously I am only half way there, the next step is to be playing at the top of my game and in one of the top leagues in the world. That is what inspires me to keep pushing every day.
Similarly, the pro footy world's notoriously brutal, especially for a lad from New Zealand. How have you been able to cope with setbacks in the past when things haven't gone the way you've wanted?
Setbacks come to all footballers from a young age, but being able to cope with them and learn is the best way to progress. I’ve found that having faith in your ability and the desire to keep pushing has gotten me through some setbacks in the past.
Let's talk U20 World Cup. You were a part of the squad in 2015 that made it into the knockouts when New Zealand hosted it. What are your favourite memories of representing the country at a FIFA tournament on home soil?
Obviously playing in a world cup in home soil is an accomplishment in itself, I’m always proud to represent my country and put on the fern. My favourite memory has to be the opening game against Ukraine, with a sold out QBE stadium and a very strong performance drawing 0-0, an important draw that helped us progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
After a couple squad call-ups in the early Hudson days, how close do you feel you are now to full international All Whites honours? What do you need to do to achieve that?
Being involved in previous All Whites squads allowed me to gauge where I was within the squad. I feel now if I can establish myself here in England, I’ll have a good opportunity to earn that full All Whites cap.
TNC interviewed Mike Den Heijer a few months back and, like him, you were a member of Wynton Rufer's old Wynrs Academy. So same question he got: Do you think you'd be where you are today without that independent academy pathway?
Being involved in Wynrs for many years played a big part in my development as a player. I personally thought the in-depth coaching style at a young age, concentrating on the technical aspect, was key in my development. That quality of coaching is hard to find at a young age in NZ, but it was also very demanding as a young lad, not only for myself but I also have to thank my parents for the countless hours put in during my younger years.
Alrighty, who was you favourite player as a kid and what's one thing you've tried to emulate from them?
Starting my football career playing centre mid, I tried to emulate Frank Lampard at Chelsea. As I started playing centre back later on as a child I enjoyed watching and analysing Thiago Silva, trying to watch the games he was playing in, but also keeping an eye on his movement and positing off the ball, which is key for a centre back.
Drop some wisdom on us all, what's one lesson that football has taught you which has helped guide you off the field as well?
Determination to succeed is the most important attribute. Set your goals and never ever give up.
And finally, as a graduate of the [ISPS Handa] Kiwi Premiership, what would you like to see happening to grow and improve the national league in this country? (Limited to conceivable ideas and try not to get sued).
I feel the quality of the ISPS Premiership is improving every year. With the league now bringing in more players from around the world, that’s improving the quality also. It’s a good pathway to professional football, especially as the amount of young players plying their trade in the league has increased. Personally I think this is a key aspect the league needs to keep improving on, helping players improve and guiding them in the right direction.
Sweet as, before you depart to other glorious corners of the internet, take a second to smack an ad on this one and help TNC keep on truckin’ as an independent kiwi sports scribblers. Cheers to you, legend.