Formerly of clubs ranging from Middlesbrough to Boca Juniors, and currently plying his trade in Serie A with Udinese, it’s fair to say that Martin Payero has already had a pretty interesting career.
The 26-year-old Argentine midfielder sat down for a chat with CaughtOffside about his experiences in England and Italy, plus his toughest opponents, his thoughts on his teammates, and his plans for the future…
COS: How are you finding life in Serie A and how does it compare to English football?
MP: In Serie A I feel good, it was easy to adapt compared to England. I like the Italian one as a championship and when I arrived here I already had experience in Europe this made me adapt before England.
What was it like working for a big character like Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough?
I have good memories, he gave me confidence when I arrived, I had a good relationship.
Can you see yourself playing in England again at some point in the future?
I like to watch the Premier League and English football, we’ll see if there will be a chance.
What are Udinese’s ambitions for this season and beyond? How far do you think this squad can go together?
In the last period we had difficulties but with Bologna we went back to doing well. Our goal was to stay close to the European positions also for next year.
Who’s been the toughest opponent you’ve come up against in your career so far?
I think Nicolo Barella of Inter, because he is a dynamic player and one of the hundred strongest midfielders ever.
What’s it like sharing a dressing room and training pitch with a big name like Alexis Sanchez?
It gives me pride to play alongside him, he always has positive energy and we all always want to learn from him. Alexis is always an added value for the whole team.
Your teammate Thomas Kristensen has been linked with Premier League clubs – what can you tell us about him as a teammate and do you think he’ll have a big career?
He is a strong and young player who must continue to grow and improve, he has a great future he can become a very strong defender to play at the highest levels
Who were your football idols when you were growing up? Who did you base your game/playing style on?
Ronaldinho certainly but for the style of play I was inspired by Riquelme, I would say both of them me a lot.
