Inside View with Charlton defender Miguel Llera
16:00, 11 March 2010
updated: 16:00, 11 March 2010
Everyone is gearing up for the big game this weekend – Millwall away.
I may not have been in the country for long, and at Charlton for an even shorter time, but everyone has made clear how important this weekend’s match is.
And if I still wasn’t sure, then watching that amazing game at The Valley last December cleared up any questions I might have had!
It was an incredible match, with the sort of atmosphere that you dream of playing in when you start to play football.
Obviously, we drew 4-4 that day, and we will definitely be looking to start better on Saturday than on that occasion, when we conceded two early goals. We showed our fighting spirit by recovering to lead 4-3, though, and that’s the sort of thing which will be required this weekend.
It won’t be my first trip to The New Den. I actually played there in only my third match for Milton Keynes Dons after I arrived from Spain, so it was a pretty quick education for me.
We won that game 4-0 and the same result on Saturday would do just fine!
People ask me how I communicate with my fellow defenders, but my English is okay – I’m even starting to understand Christian Dailly, who speaks very fast in his Scottish accent.
I cannot always say what I want to say, but my English has improved a lot since I have been in the country.
I would still like it to be much better. I studied English at school and university, and when I came over to England I had some lessons. I would like to start studying again, but my son is two years old and he takes up all my time when I get home from training!
To be back in the team for the last four games has been good. We’ve won three of those matches, but we need to keep winning if we are to catch Leeds and Norwich.
It was very frustrating for me when I wasn’t playing. I felt I had done quite well when Sam Sodje was suspended, but the manager told me he wanted to make a change. He explained the situation and I told him I disagreed,
but I worked hard to get back in his plans.
I’m back in the team now, though, and I intend to stay there.
It’s a big game this weekend, and we need the three points, but every game between now and the end of the season is like a final for us.
We have 11 games left and we will try to win every one.