Larrivey: "I liked basketball, but ultimately chose football"

He comes from a large family, he loves playing guitar and he has completed a university degree. Joaquín Óscar Larrivey (b. 1984, Argentina) is, you might say, an everyday guy. And now, in addition to that, he has also become one of the most in-form forwards of this first half of the Liga BBVA. RC Celta have leveraged his goals to end the year with dreams of Europe, and he gives LFP.es a few minutes of his time to talk about his past, present and future.

LFP.es: How do you see the team in this first part of the season?
Larrivey: On balance, positive. The team’s playing well and we’re keeping ourselves in the top spots, where we hope to remain all season.

LFP.es: Is Europe a dream or a target?
Larrivey: I reckon we’re all thinking about the day-to-day and until there are only three or four rounds left of the season, we won’t think about the end goal. There are still a lot of games ahead of us to know whether we’re really ready to fight for Europe or stay in the division. It’s very early. The goal has to be to take it step by step.

"Paco Jémez gave me a great opportunity and taught me a huge amount. I’ll be grateful to him all my life"

LFP.es: I suppose the fact that Berizzo is Argentinian helps you have a good understanding with him.
Larrivey: It’s important for a player to feel supported by the manager, not least when you’re new to a dressing room. I’m grateful to him and my team-mates, because they’ve made me tick in recent months.

LFP.es: Would you like to play under Paco Jémez again one day?
Larrivey: I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I can comment on what happened in the past. Paco surprised me. He’s a spectacular person, and he has assembled an equally spectacular coaching team around him. I’m very grateful to him for the opportunity he gave me and for everything he taught me, I will be forever. 

LFP.es: What did you learn in Vallecas?
Larrivey: I had a very special season because we gradually improved. At first it was difficult, because were new players, but in the end the boss put the pieces of the puzzle together. I met a lot of extraordinary people at that club and we were a great group.

LFP.es: Last year you scored 12 goals in 30 games, and now you have 7; did you imagine such a good start? 
Larrivey: I owe this good spell to the confidence of the manager and what my team-mates give me. No more and no less. But it’s always important for a forward to get a good start. 

LFP.es: Which striker do you most admire?
Larrivey: Messi is a star, especially in Argentine football, but I’ll go for Zlatan Ibrahimović because he’s an all-round forward who impressed me hugely. He stands out above the rest.

LFP.es: Have you always wanted to play in your position?
Larrivey: When I was a kid I played as a winger, but because of my height they always moved me forward and in the end I stayed there.

"Messi is a star, but it was Zlatan Ibrahimović who most surprised me" 

LFP.es: How do you remember your childhood?
Larrivey: I always played at home with my brothers and we went to a social club that had all the sports. I spent the whole day with the ball, playing all kinds of sports. I had a great time there and I remember that I always liked basketball, but I ended up choosing football because the times clashed and in the end all my friends played football. I ended up playing it almost because of friendships. 

LFP.es: What sportspeople did you follow as a kid?
Larrivey: There are loads of sportspeople who I admired, and still do. My favourite is perhaps Emanuel Ginóbili, but I also like Federer and Michael Jordan, in his time. Along with Leo Messi, I think these four are on the podium.  

LFP.es: You have played in four top leagues; what has Spain given you that you didn’t find before?
Larrivey: It’s one of the best leagues in the world, with the best teams on the planet. I’m especially grateful for the chance to belong to it and play with the greats every week.