"I am part of a very good, young team"

In 2018, you were the youngest professional footballer at Vidi, barely 17 years old, when you attended the team's training camp in Spain and we talked at length about you and your plans. Now, six years later, we sat down for an interview as a mature man and an experienced NB I footballer. What memories do you have of your time at Vidi in the past?

I have very fond memories of my years here, whether it was my time in the youth ranks, the NB III years or, of course, my debut in the NB I. In the 2017/2018 season, I came on as a substitute in the last round against DVTK and played for Vidi's third championship team. Obviously, I was not a stable player at that time, but it meant a lot to me to train with the NB I team at the age of 17, where players like Roland Juhász, Danko Lazovics and Szabolcs Huszti were playing at that time. They were all very helpful to me, I really look back on that time with a good heart.

(photo: archív/fehervarfc.hu)

It's important to mention here that my path from the youth team did not lead me to the NB I, as I was first promoted to Vidi II at the age of 16. It was here that I first encountered adult football, which was incomparable to the youth game. It was difficult to get up to adult rhythm and I had to improve a lot physically, but I owe a lot to my head coach at the time, Krisztián Tímár, who didn't treat me like a child despite my young age (Balu made his debut for Vidi II in a NB III match against Csepel - ed.).

After your NB I debut you didn't play in the top flight the following season, was that a disappointment for you?

On some level it was disappointing, but let's not forget that I was still "only" 17-18 years old and Vidi had excellent, experienced players, it would have been difficult to replace anyone and let's admit it wasn't realistic at the time. That season was all about playing as many games as possible for Vidi II and really becoming an adult footballer.

You followed the steps nicely, because after you gained enough experience in NB III, you played in NB II Budaörs and Kaposvár. How do you remember that period?

It was also an important step in my career, because after NB III, I started to play stable football in NB II. NB II was faster and especially more physical than NB III, I had to pick up the rhythm, but I think I managed to overcome the obstacle. I also enjoyed playing in Budaörs and Kaposvár, and it was interesting to note that I worked with the head coaches of both teams, who were later my coaches in Paks. György Bognár was the head coach at Budaörs and Róbert Waltner was the head coach at Kaposvár.

And it was completely fateful that you made your debut for Paks in the NB I in a Vidi-Paks match at the Sóstói Stadium.

Yes, it was a really interesting coincidence. I remember the match vividly, as Vidi were already 2-0 up and I don't think many people thought we would leave with a point, but the game ended 2-2. I came on as a substitute, and before the equaliser I gave the pass to Harasti, who also came on as a substitute and scored a double in that game.

If we can put it this way, you have fulfilled yourself in Paks, you became a stable NB I player, you celebrated a MOL Hungarian Cup victory in the previous season, in addition to the podium finish. How do you evaluate your years in Paks?

I've had a very good few years, full of experiences and successes. It was really in Paks that I became a real NB I footballer, we played in the cup final twice and won it once, so the last few years have been a really decisive period in my career.

In the meantime, you have also had a taste of life as an international, having spent six months on loan in Turkey with Antalyaspor. How did that opportunity come about and what experience did you gain?

At the beginning of last year, I got an invitation from Turkey, and to be honest, it was completely unexpected, but I thought it was an important opportunity to gain experience, so I decided to go for it. And it didn't disappoint, as I gained a lot of good experience. I was in a very professional environment, with a lot of good players in the squad and an excellent coaching staff. Our head coach was Nuri Şahin, who was one of Borussia Dortmund's leading players and a multiple Turkish national team player, and he is now Dortmund's head coach. Obviously, I was not lucky in Turkey because the team was fighting against relegation, so the more experienced players got more opportunities, but all in all, I consider the six months I spent abroad to have been a useful experience.

When you started preparing for the new season this summer, did you think you would be back in red and blue this season? How unexpected was it when Vidi approached you?

There had been talks about my possible return to Vidi, I could have joined the team earlier, but no one wanted to make a move while we were playing in the international competition with Paks, because it would not have been ideal for Paks to have a smaller squad while they were still interested in the international competition. So it was a bit late for me to join Vidi, but the important thing is that I'm here and I want to achieve better results with this club. I got involved with a very good, young team and I feel I fitted in immediately. It was a bit strange that I was usually the young rookie everywhere, but now I have several teammates who I remember well, who were a few age groups below me in Vidi's youth team (laughs).

Finally, let's go back to the beginning of our conversation, where I said that you are sitting here as a mature man. Well, it's not just in terms of your NB I match figures, as you are now a married man and soon to be a father.

That's right, luckily my personal life has been going very well. I'm married to the girl who was my girlfriend when I was playing football for Vidi, and I'm going to be a father in December. I am the father of twins, a girl and a boy. I still don't really realise that my wife and I are going to be parents in a few weeks' time, but we are looking forward to holding our children in our arms.