Heron Talk
After recently arriving in South Florida and completing his first few days of training with Inter Miami, defender Kieran Gibbs held his first press conference with the Club ahead of Saturday’s away matchup against the New York Red Bulls.
The accomplished fullback discussed how grateful he is to be able to play abroad as well as his first impressions.
“I feel very blessed to be able to perform in another country, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m really excited to be here and meet with the players, it’s obviously all quite new to me at the moment. I’ve only been here for a few days but my first impression has been very good, I feel like the group is a great squad,” said Gibbs.
“Why I came is more for opportunities to play abroad and challenge myself in another country.”
Gibbs is focused on adjusting to life in South Florida, both in terms of getting to know his teammates and becoming familiar with the physicality of the league.
“Everyone seems to have adapted well so far, like the boys who come from the UK. They say that it takes a couple of weeks.
“The standard is higher, it’s physical. A lot of boys have been telling me how physical the league is as well, so I have to make sure I’m ready for that. I believe that we have a technical team, we have to make sure that you match up physically as well.”
Gibbs also praised Head Coach Phil Neville for his honesty in terms of what he expects out of the defender.
“I got [the] initial feeling that Phil has a good balance between giving you freedom and at the same time letting you know what he wants from you. I feel like he’s an honest guy. Most people at any job will tell you they want the boss to be honest, he seems like an honest, integral guy and I feel like most of the players have that same feeling.”
In preparation for his arrival, Gibbs made sure to catch up on Inter Miami’s games this season and he expects the tide to turn.
“My first impression from the first couple of games was good, we seemed to have high energy and I felt like some of the results actually didn’t reflect the way that we played. I got that impression when I came here as well because I spoke to some of the players, they said the same thing. There were a couple of games where they played really well and not got a result and that’s just football.
“As long as the team keeps up [their performances], from what I saw, I feel like they should bring themselves up the table.”
Ultimately, Gibbs understands that he must earn his spot in the team, and the only way to achieve that is through hard work in the training ground.
“I still have to earn my place in the team...You have to work hard first and you have to show the manager that you deserve to play.”
“I’m still highly competitive, it’s the only way I know how to be. I come here humble, I don’t want any expectation, I just come willing to give 100% and the rest will be history,” concluded Gibbs.
