Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has acknowledged that for a player in his place, the task he wishes to play at the Bernabeu is the most difficult in world football.
International Ukraine aspires to become the first-choice No.1 with Los Blancos and is currently out on loan with the Segunda Division outfit Oviedo to gain experience and improve itself as a player to that end.
The 21-year-old hopes to become the No.1 for both the club and the country even if that means being on the receiving end of some harsh criticism. His ambition, however, is to challenge Thibaut Courtois for regular game time in the Spanish capital, but he appreciates that it may be an ungrateful job, with legendary figures like Iker Casillas being jeered when he took up that role in years past.
Asked by AS if the toughest challenge for a goalkeeper is playing in goal for Real Madrid, he replied: “Yes. There have always been and there will always be critics. It’s natural and some people believe the burden rests with them. I got to help me with the coach, the coaching staff, and my team-mates. I do manage well the criticism.”
In the meantime he announced that Andriy Shevchenko, the former Milan and Chelsea striker who won the 2004 Ballon d’Or, helped him a lot.
After playing the second fiddle in the first half of the campaign at Valladolid, Lunin switched to Oviedo in January.
He has rapidly established himself as the No.1 in the relegation-threatened squad after starring five times for Leganes in La Liga last year and hopes he will be able to persuade Zinedine Zidane to take him back to Madrid for next season.
Lunin hopes that he will be able to show his level so that Zidane knows that he has to go back to Madrid, that he has one more choice.
