"THAT CHELSEA LOSS IN 2014 STILL HURTS WE STARTED TO BELIEVE THAT WE COULD WIN THE LEAGUE"

The Slovakian defender on suffering Premier League heartache, Gerrard's infamous slip and why he dropped the skinhead look post-Liverpool...

- Interview Martin Rendek

You joined Liverpool in January 2008 and spent eight-and-a-half years there. How do you look back on it?

It’s a combination of honour, privilege and fulfilled dreams. Playing football from early childhood, I always wanted to play at the top level. So coming to England and experiencing the Premier League in person was a dream come true. To be part of such a huge club makes it all extra special. Even the idea of being a teammate of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Jamie Carragher or Javier Mascherano seems amazing to me now. But at the same time, it was also a great responsibility because Liverpool have fans all over the world and the history is enormous.

You moved to Liverpool from Russian heavyweights Zenit Saint Petersburg. Were there similarities in terms of history and passion?

Zenit was a great stepping stone. I would have found it almost impossible to move from Slovakia directly to Liverpool. It was a great learning experience in Russia. It hardened me as a player but also as a person. Zenit had a strong side at that time. Managers like Vlastimil Petrzela and Dick Advocaat taught me a lot. They helped me on my path and it was a fine time in Zenit. But coming to Liverpool was another level.

How did you find learning English while on Merseyside?

[Laughs] Oh boy, that was a massive change as well! In Russia there used to be a few Czech and Slovak teammates and Russian has some similarities with my first language. But my English was limited at the beginning of my Liverpool spell, so the club arranged for a teacher. After three or four months of intense studying, I began to understand better.

You lifted silverware once with Liverpool, even scoring in the 2012 League Cup Final win over Cardiff...