A-Z of Football with Oriol Romeu

A is for… Atmosphere

Best atmosphere you’ve played in?

I have to say probably the cup final at Wembley when we played against Man U. That was one of the nicest places to play. Also in that season, the semi-final away against Liverpool, that was a nice atmosphere and a nice feeling!

Saints fans in full voice at Wembley for the 2017 EFL Cup final

B is for… Banter

Funniest player you’ve shared a dressing room with?

Kelvin Davis. He always had some random reactions, he was just naturally funny, he didn’t need to force himself to make jokes. It’s just the way he reacts and the way he does things.

C is for… Celebration

Favourite goal celebration in football history?

I love the ones that used to be done many, many years ago when they would just run off with both hands up and you could see their shorts up really high! Apart from that, maybe the most iconic one when I was younger would be the Eric Cantona one [against Sunderland].

Eric Cantona's iconic celebration after scoring for Manchester United against Sunderland in 1996

D is for… Dream

What would be your ultimate football dream?

Winning a World Cup. That is the highest achievement you can get as a football player, I would say.

E is for… Embarrassed

Most humiliating moment?

There are moments when you feel you are not enjoying it, because of results or your own performance, but I wouldn’t describe it as embarrassing. We had a tough defeat here, 9-0 against Leicester, but that’s part of football. I’ve had it before when I’ve been waiting to come on – you’re standing there on the sideline, and then the full-time whistle goes and the game is over! That happened to me once, so I would say that one.

F is for… Friend

Best mate in football?

I’ve got a few, luckily. When I came to England I shared a dressing room with Juan Mata, who has been a friend of mine ever since. Then, with Southampton, maybe Maya Yoshida would be the one that I’ve been the closest with. In Girona I had David López, who I was very close with, and there’s Marc Bartra from Betis – he grew up with me and we’ve always been in touch.

Oriol with Maya Yoshida at St Mary's on the final day of the 2018-19 Premier League season

G is for… Goal

Best goal you have ever scored?

In terms of beauty or importance? Importance there are not many, to be honest! In terms of beauty, probably the one from outside the box against Norwich, or the volley against West Brom.

H is for… Hardman

Toughest player you have come across?

Lukaku was very strong, naturally. Michail Antonio from West Ham was another one – it is pretty difficult to move them! Those two come to my mind, and also Andy Carroll – to win a duel in the air was almost impossible against him.

Sliding in to dispossess former Saint Michail Antonio in 2018

I is for… Idol

Player you looked up to as a boy?

As a boy I remember the Brazilian Ronaldo, he had an amazing season with Barca who I was supporting back then. I would probably say he was the one that made me fall in love with football.

J is for… Job

What would you do if you weren’t a footballer?

It’s a good question because football has made me the way I am, with the hobbies and life that I have. I love being active, being with people with a purpose and having a goal, so it would probably be something related to sports or performance.

K is for… Kit

Favourite ever football shirt?

I played a lot of Nintendo 64, it was World Cup ‘98 and that shirt from Brazil. Brazil ‘98 with Ronaldo on the back, I’ve got that one. It’s one of the nicest ones that I’ve seen.

Ronaldo scores for Brazil at the 1998 World Cup

L is for… Losing

What’s been the toughest loss of your career?

I played Barca-Madrid, I came on at 1-1 and then Bellingham scored the second one and we lost 2-1. That game is one of those that I played and I really wanted to win it, and the defeat that I wish had gone a different way. Apart from that I would also say the cup final (Saints vs Man Utd), because it’s a game that changes everything. Those would be the two.

Getting stuck in against Jude Bellingham in El Clásico, 2023

M is for… Match

Best match you’ve played in?

Probably when we beat [Real] Madrid 4-2 with Girona. I had a decent match, I felt strong, felt good and it was a nice victory. And then the other one would be the semi-final [for Saints] against Liverpool away. I felt really good in that game and I have a very good sensation when I remember those moments, especially because it made us go to the final.

Celebrating Shane Long's winner at Anfield in 2017

N is for… Notable

Football memento you will never give away?

The Champions League medal [with Chelsea], it has to be.

Champions League glory with Chelsea against the odds in 2012

O is for… Opponent

Best player you’ve faced?

Messi. There is nothing else to add! It was almost impossible to read him or to take the ball off him. He looked like he was sleeping, but all of a sudden he would just turn on and change the game around. I have to say him.

P is for… Pride

Proudest football achievement?

Being in this game for so long from so young. Being able to survive and adapt myself to a new culture, because I was coming from Spain and we played completely different, and to so many different managers, having learned a lot from them. So I would say the proudest feeling is being flexible enough to do what I love and in a way that I feel proud of.

Q is for… Quote

Something someone said that always stuck with you?

There is a phrase that goes “hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life”. So if you go the easy way, you end up having difficulties. I like to always do that extra bit, or find that extra thing that will make you do things differently than the others. Sometimes it’s hard and uncomfortable, but I hope in the long term it will give me what I need.

R is for… Routine

What does pre-match look like for you?

I try to always wake up at the same time, around 7-7:30. Get some water, have breakfast with the kids – some porridge and a coffee – and ideally go for a walk with the dog. Then I come in to the stadium, do some activations, have a pre-match meal around 11-11:30 – maybe some rice and salmon or potatoes and salmon, then some banana and berries afterwards – another coffee, and then sometimes I like to have a cold shower to wake me up, or something to activate my whole body. It just makes me feel more alive. Then a proper warm-up with mobility exercises to get the body in good shape and ready to go.

S is for… Support

Which team did you follow as a boy?

Barca.

T is for… Teammate

Best player you’ve played with?

I have to say Messi again. I’m sorry but it’s quite obvious! I love Pedri as well, from Barca. He’s a joy to watch, so good. I will say Pedri actually – he’s so talented, his timing with the ball is unreal, he can always get the right touch at the right time and in the right space, which is something I really admire from him.

Talking tactics with Pedri at Barcelona

U is for… Unbelievable

Something about you we wouldn’t expect?

I love cooking. It’s something that I would like to do more often. I also like learning about biology and the human body, it’s something that keeps me wanting to learn more and more. The more you learn the more you realise how much you don’t know! This feeling of learning something makes me feel happy and fulfilled, so having good recipes for my family, sharing some of them with my kids and cooking together is something that I really enjoy.

V is for… Visitor

Favourite away ground?

Old Trafford. I love it because of the memories. I remember watching Man U when I was younger, and they were the team everyone wanted to be. Playing there has always been something special. Or Fratton Park!

Battling with close friend Juan Mata at Old Trafford in 2017

W is for… Worst

Worst thing about being a footballer?

There are things that come with this job that are uncomfortable sometimes. I don’t like being recognised publicly. Here in England people respect a lot more your privacy and your family, but, in Spain, especially in the time I was at Barca, I just wanted to switch off and it was difficult to be able to walk out and feel like you were invisible. Luckily it’s only been one year of my career, and the rest has been more the way I like it.

X is for… X-ray

Worst injury you have suffered?

The ACL was the longest and probably the one that everyone hates. It makes you go back to learning to walk, run, pass. You have to change everything. It was the ACL in my right knee when I was 20, it was a tough moment.

Y is for… Youngsters

What piece of advice would you give an aspiring footballer?

If you don’t like it or don’t enjoy it, it’s very hard to make it. On the other side, you have to have this competitive mindset. I always had the feeling, even when the injuries came, or bad moments came, that the ones that will get to the end are the ones that can overcome obstacles and adapt to new situations. Even to this day, I still feel like I have things to learn and things to improve, and I want to continue with this mindset because that’s the way I think is right. If you wanted to be a footballer, you did everything right to become a footballer and you don’t get it, at least you’ve been able to enjoy that process, and you’ve seen and learned so many new things. That’s the main takeaway, from at least trying something and pursuing a dream of yours.

Z is for… Zzzzzz

Whose banter could send you to sleep?

To me, Z is for Zac – my son’s name. So what gets me to sleep is knowing that Zac is sleeping well! Happy kids, happy parents, so what gets me to sleep is knowing that my kids are in a good state!

This interview was originally published inside SAINTS, the club’s matchday programme, for this season’s home game against Watford. Each edition of the programme contains a feature interview with a current player or the head coach.

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