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"I want to take Albania to the World Cup", the different story of Broja, from family, emigration, the National Team, to Chelsea

2022-09-29 20:25:47Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"I want to take Albania to the World Cup", the different story of
Armando Broja

Armando Broja, the attacker of the Albanian National Team and the Chelsea team in the Premier League, has given a long interview to "The Players Tribune".

He has confessed from the first steps with the ball, the family, the decision to choose Albania, Chesea and his big dreams.

***

If you knew my dad, you'd know he's acting like he's joking. He says: 'Armando, you are not allowed to stop playing football until you take Albania to a World Cup!'

If you don't know, Albania has never qualified for the World Cup.

Honestly though, I actually like the pressure and I like having it as a goal, no matter how big or distant it seems right now. It's always on my mind.

I want to tell you a little about where that mentality comes from and what it means to me to represent Albania. It all starts with my dad.

He has always been so eager to succeed and for his children to succeed. Growing up, there wasn't a minute to waste. Time was the most precious thing for him.

We joke now that my success is 50-50. Half mine, half his and my mom's.

I remember if my dad would see me sitting down to play FIFA or something and say, 'Instead of spending an hour on the PlayStation, you can spend that hour training...'

He just couldn't deal with anyone who didn't want to use their time to the absolute maximum. Make every second count for something. So we trained a lot.

I remember when I was little and just starting football, he would come home late from work and he was exhausted. It might be 10 or 11 o'clock at night and he might have been working 15 hours a day, but he would always ask, "Armando, did you practice today?"

Of course when I lied, I said, "Mmm, yeah?"

He understood the truth and from this we went to the park and he made me run 20 times around the field and I told him:

"Daddy! Why??"

"No no no. I can not hear you. Keep it up or you'll do it 30 times."

When I had a growth spurt around 16, he worried that I would lose speed. Speed ​​has always been one of my strengths. So he would take me out to sprint up the hills for an hour a day. I was falling off the bottom and he's there standing over me and saying “Nah, go again. Another lap. The defenders will catch you.”

It was like, this is the way out, the way to success.

We joke now that my success is 50-50. Half mine, half his and my mom's. They do work that you don't see. However, in those early years, the balance was more on their side.

You also need to understand where my father came from. He and my mother left Albania in the early 20s for England when my mother was pregnant with my older sister.

My parents had no future prospects in their village. They were so determined to provide a better life for their children. But it was also difficult for them in England. They had no money and didn't speak a word of English. At the time I was born we were all living in a room at the back of a hotel in Slough.

We fought like this for several years. My parents have told me old stories and I've seen pictures of those times, but the only real memory I have is this stuffed tiger that I used as a pillow in that room where the whole family slept.

My father did everything he could to provide us with an income in those years. He started from the bottom, doing construction work, building houses, laying bricks. He was such a hard worker, so determined. There were always people ready to give him a job.

Eventually, he teamed up with a friend and they raised enough money to start their own pool installation company. Recently, he has also made some swimming pools for other footballers!

Now he's older and his back hurts, but he's the boss. He just had that DNA that could never stop until he achieved success.

And for us as his children, there was no other choice. Whatever had to be done, had to be done as best you could, with everything you had.

It was like, this is your way to make it, your way to success. You have to fight for it with every available minute of the day.

For me this was football. Dad saw that in me early on. I loved sports, but I was a bit wild as a child, full of energy. I needed that structure. He coached me, taught me, made sure I was on the right track as I progressed through the academies at Tottenham and then Chelsea. I think he had it in his head that his son would become an Albanian icon. Like the Albanian R9.

Growing up, I liked Cristiano Ronaldo, like most kids of my generation. But my father was obsessed with the other Ronaldo. The Brazilian. All I heard about was the R9.

It's just that I was too young to see him play and when Dad talked about the R9, I didn't know what he meant.

"Armando, I want you to be like R9! You must play as R9!

Who is R9?

Then he showed me the YouTube clips. My dad and I would sit and watch video after video of Ronaldo doing his thing for Real Madrid and Brazil, and my dad would fill me in on the details of his career and legend. I quickly fell in love with him too.

Another name I got to know growing up was Lorik Cana, the only Albanian to play in the Premier League before me.

He won trophies with big clubs in France and Italy and had a season in the Premier League with Sunderland in 2010/11. His name is a legend in Albania.

That's how it is there. If you play in major championships your name remains in history. You are an icon.

I enjoyed that when I scored my first Premier League goal last season.

After a while it started to sink in, what it means to make history.

When the ball hit the net against Leeds, I was lost in the moment. I didn't even know how to celebrate, it was just my start in the Premier League! I knew that even my parents were going crazy in the stadium, but only after the match when I was scrolling through social networks, I continued to watch, Armando Broja is the first Albanian to score in the Premier League.

Oh, wow.

It made me think of another thing my dad always told us growing up: "Make sure people remember your name, long after you're gone."

It seems to me that with Albania this is possible. And I love it.

There was a moment when England Under-21 wanted me and, yes, I thought about that and what I wanted for my future, but honestly … I didn't have to think too long.

I grew up in England, but I am proud to be Albanian.

Wherever we lived as a family, it was always an Albanian house, you know? Noisy. Full of many petty arguments. I can hardly remember a night that we didn't sit down and eat dinner as a family.

My parents made sure that the culture was deeply ingrained in me. We traveled there a lot when I was growing up so I could learn the language and meet all my family, I swear everyone we ran into in Kamez were my cousins.

Honestly, few people know what a beautiful country Albania is, with wonderful beaches, beautiful villages and warm and friendly people.

Every time I travel on international duty and with the Reds and Blacks, I feel this immense pride and excitement.

It is the country of my parents and my culture, but I also like that in the Albanian team you can take responsibility as a young player. You can grow up and become a star. And if you do well, you can become an icon for eternity.

I have already experienced it in the "National Arena" in Tirana singing my name and there is no better feeling.

Honestly, the night we played Poland last year, I had never experienced such an atmosphere in the Premier League or anywhere else. It was crazy.

I was warming up and I could hear the whole stadium chanting my name. This was incredible. My mom told me afterwards that she burst into tears! That night I felt the love and respect of the country, and I owe it to every Albanian to give my best every time. To make every second count.

I know I have high goals.

I want to be Harry Kane, Ronaldo or R9 of Albania.

I want to take my country to a World Cup. And when my career is over, I want my name to live on. For Albania. For my dad.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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