Me - When were you first attracted by Surat?
EM - When we played against Chonburi in the 2008 AFC Champions League we were all really impressed by the technical ability and speed of the Thai players. And Surat caught my eye then but I never thought much of it until we started looking for a defensive midfield type player.
Me - And how did this initial interest develop?
EM - I went with my assistant coach to see New Zealand play against Thailand to watch two other players, who I won't name, but Surat was the one that impressed us with his strategic play, his speed, his technical ability and his passing. He was a real competitor.
Me - How often did you have him watched after that?
EM - I myself watched him play for Chonburi against a team in Hanoi, Vietnam. I happened to be there on holiday and I went over to the game and again Surat was the one that stood out so he became our target.
Me - How has he settled into your team?
EM - He's settled in really well. He's got that very pleasant Asian, Thai in particular, attitude where he's just very friendly, easy going and very sociable. He's become quite a favourite with his sense of humour and he's always smiling when he's playing so I think he's adapted well. He took his opportunity very well and he's a regular first eleven player on the basis of his ability.
Me - What qualities does he bring to your team?
EM - He's a very competitive ball winning type player. He's very tough in winning the ball and he can play either in central or wide midfield, almost like a full back coming forward. His forward passing and vision are outstanding. He has the ability to keep possession and play the ball into the feet of strikers. So he's a huge asset in terms of winning the ball, keeping the ball and passing to the strikers in order to give them goal scoring opportunities.
Me - How has he adapted to the style of play in the Australian league?
EM - As I was saying earlier we chose the kind of player we wanted, a defensive ball winning midfielder who is very competitive. Someone who can keep possession of the ball because they have very good technical skills, left foot, right foot, and the ability to use their speed and vision and passing ability in order to create forward movement. After his first game he was a regular. So that's how quickly he's adapted. He's been out injured a couple of times but he's starting back again in this game against Wellington. I think that he'll become a regular first eleven player again, not only in the A-League, but in the AFC Champions League, where he'll be a huge asset to us. I also think that he'll be a major player in the Thai national team for a long time. The Chonburi coaches have done a good job with him.
Me - How does he get along with the other players?
EM - Very well. He's very popular with the other players because of his tremendous skills and his happy outgoing demeanour.
Me - Has the language barrier been a problem?
EM - Well football and playing football is fairly international and he understands the role that he has been given. Its helped recently with Sutee, who is also another Thai international player, doing some of the interpreting. We always have an interpreter at the games but he seems to understand really well what the expectations are because he's such a well prepared, well trained player.
Me - How is he regarded by the fans?
EM - Because of his happy go lucky attitude, and the fact that he's always smiling, he's been well accepted. We have a large fan base of over 20,000 and he's really popular with them.
Me - How has he settled into Australian life and culture?
EM - I'm sure that he enjoys life in Thailand, and he's missing it. But I'm sure that he enjoys life in Australia also.
Me - What has the club done in order to help him settle?
EM - The club has helped him out with an apartment and by bringing over his wife. We've had interpreters on hand and he's learning English so it's been a very smooth transition off the field.
Me - Would you consider signing any more Thai players?
EM - I think, that with the huge success that Melbourne Victory has had with Surat that we'd be keen to sign another Thai player in the near future. Maybe even a Chonburi player. It's also possible that at some stage we might have an exchange where we give Chonburi a loan player, or something like that. I would certainly like to go over and spend a few days at Chonburi myself just to see the set up and get a feel for the place.
Me - Finally, would you like to send a message to Chonburi fans about Surat?
EM - Surat is a fine ambassador, not only for Thailand and Thai football but for Chonburi especially. He's been well drilled and well prepared. He is a very good full time professional footballer who's very popular with the players, the coaching staff and is a huge favourite with the fans. I hope that he stays a long time at the club. The Chonburi fans should be very proud of him.
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