Just after winning the Spanish Super Cup, the player from Tenerife talks about the present, the past and the future with his usual natural manner, lit up by the light the titles give. Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma (Santa Cruz, 1987) exudes honesty, ambition and a will for self-improving. His values of always.
- How do you feel after the new victory and the new title?
Good, I’m happy and looking forward to start the season again.
- And is there any time to enjoy?
Yes, we are happy about the match we made last Saturday and because of the title, one more we have been able to get, which causes satisfaction, pride and the sensation of that we are doing the thing right.
- Besides, the new season starts for you as the last season ended. I mean, in the starting eleven and with goals.
You know how this summer has been and that it was going to be difficult to start, but the truth is that we feel better than we thought.
- They wrote a lot about the last calling of Vicente del Bosque. Did the friendly match against Mexico change your plans?
Yes, you don’t start with the team the way you would like, you don’t have the same pace as your mates, but step by step we are getting it and we face excited what’s about to come, which is the first league match. It’s just around the corner.
- I think that all the effort and the long trip has been worthy because it was a special day, wasn’t it? After all, the Spanish national team was wearing for the first time the condition of World Champions.
Yes. That moment was a difficult situation for the national coach [Del Bosque] and for the Barça coach [Pep Guardiola] also. At the end we had to go to play to Mexico, happy to go with the national team but it’s also clear that we would have wanted to play the first round of the Super Cup in Sevilla. At the end, we couldn’t.
- After a month from South Africa’s final, has Pedrito already assimilated the World Cup’s success?
Yes. Now that a whole month has passed you assimilate what happened, you leave it back but it stays as something unforgettable, something great and something we will be proud of forever. It was something historic for everyone, for the country and for us also.
- Where do you keep your medal?
The medal is at home, at the room with the rest of the trophies. It’s a medal of a great satisfaction, of making a whole country happy.
- Which moments would you choose of the last World Cup?
There are many, of the get-together with the mates, of the good times, of conversations and secrets. But if you talk about the matches, I would choose the two last ones, because what they meant and because I could play them. They were beautiful, and also decisive, of course.
- Anyway, I guess that the most special moment was the moment you could hug your family.
The truth is that it was a very emotional moment, very special. To see my family and friends at the stadium the day of the final of the World Cup was, I don’t know something very special. It was a dream made true to share with my family and friends what I had just achieved.
- And this doesn’t stop. It’s well known that there’s almost anything left on your resume, but those who know you also know that you don’t get tired of winning.
It’s an exciting season, with a lot of challenges and a lot of titles to conquer. We have ambition, that’s the truth, so let’s see if we make a good year.
- Anyway, do you feel your role has changed in Barcelona? A year ago at this time we were also talking about your goal scoring skill –you scored against Athletic de Bilbao- but your position was different. Now you’re within the starting eleven.
I know, but to say that I’m at the starting eleven, i don’t know, that’s difficult and it’s not so real neither. Here there are world famous players. You feel more confident, yes, because of all the minutes I played the last season, and also more experienced. But with the mind and the calm of ever, without changing anything. What it’s already got it’s already done; the important thing is the present.
- You play with Ibrahimovic, Villa, Messi. Is Barça’s forward line the best of the world?
For me it is. We have players with a great goal scoring skill, with a very high level, and very talented… All of them are very good players who make a lot of goals each season. I hope Ibra can stay, it would be a pleasure to have him with us one year more at least.
- I don’t know if you have noticed it, but there will be five players from Tenerife this season at the first division: the two Ayoze, Mario, Jeffren and you.
That’s something that makes me happy and proud; I hope it would me more. Each year there are more players from the Canary Islands and that excites and motivates everyone. Each time we see each other it makes us very proud. Each match against a rival where there is a player from Tenerife or from the islands is special. With Ayoze, for example… I’ve seen him many times and usually he’s in charge of marking me. We are very fond of each other.
- And he as you, every time he can, fancies about his origins.
Yes, why do you have to forget where do you come from? Our origin is something we have to be proud of. After all, we owe the most of what we are to the people who first trusted and supported us. And those are, without any doubt, the people of our land.
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