Mr Personality: Georgievski a Mourinho sympathiser and proud of it

Melbourne Victory defender Daniel Georgievski is the latest subject of a regular feature where The World Game has a bit of fun with the game's stars by asking them questions they wouldn't normally be asked and letting their personalities shine.

Georgievski

Source: Getty Images

Georgievski told TWG:

He wants to "do an Archie Thompson" and play for another 10 years

Why he is so looking forward to visiting New York

Kevin Muscat is as "cool as a cucumber"

Ne-Yo is the man

Who he picks between Ronaldo and Messi

Why he feels for Jose Mourinho
TWG: You've gone from the family home in Blacktown to Melbourne Victory via a long period playing overseas in Croatia and Romania. It's been quite a journey for you so far, hasn't it?

DG: Yes it has. I didn't really look at it too much until I came back to Australia and realised what I'd achieved with literally no help from any institute or any NSW squad or anybody, really. I did what I did pretty much on my own and it's been a pretty awesome journey. A lot of lows, a lot of highs, it's been quite interesting.

TWG: And at 27 it's far from over yet.

DG: Oh yeah, far from over - I'm planning to be like Archie Thompson and play for another 10 years. The adventure is continuing and I couldn't be happier.

TWG: How well do you know the city of Melbourne now you've been there for over a year?

DG: The bits that I need to know, I've learned quite well. I'm living very close to the city, about two kilometres from the stadium, so it's very handy.

TWG: Does Kevin Muscat become more intense in the season after a grand final win?

DG: No, not really.  I think he knows he has done enough to make us realise we can't let the pressure get to us. Obviously everyone's going to want to do this and that to beat us, and he has calmed all of us down and made us see through the hype and realise it's going to be much, much harder to win it again. He's been as a cool as a cucumber, to tell you the truth. But if we go off the path a little bit, he puts his foot down to get us back on it, but that's normal.

TWG: Is Leigh Broxham the life of the party at the club?

DG: 'Broxy' is a legend. He's just one of those guys you could never get angry with, he's just a genuinely nice guy. He's a funny guy who laughs a lot and makes us laugh a lot and I know I've grown to be a good friend of his. I think he's a good friend of everyone and he's the kind of person you want at the club.

TWG: Where would you like to go in the world that you haven't been yet?

DG: I'm going to New York next year and I'm really looking forward to that. Everyone tells me it's amazing. It's one of the things that I just have to do, because not one person who has been there that I've spoken to has said a bad thing about it. We're playing in the Asian Champions League this year as well, so I'll get to visit a few places along the way there.

TWG: Where would you go first in New York: the Statue of Liberty, top of the Empire State building, Madison Square Garden, or somewhere else?

DG: To be honest, I don't think I'll do the whole tourist thing. I would just want to go and be a New Yorker. They say it's an amazing city to just walk around in, go to Central Park, that sort of thing. I'll probably get tired from all the walking, but it sounds like a good way to do it. I could go to all the tourist landmarks, but that's not something I really want to tick off the list. I just want to go there and try to experience what life is like there for people.

TWG: What sort of music do you listen to?

DG: I love the R&B, man. I love a good beat, so I'm an R&B boy. Ne-Yo is one of my favourites. I like the more laidback stuff and he's got a very cool sound.

TWG: Are you a Ronaldo or Messi man, or both, or someone else again?

DG: I'm for Ronaldo. He's definitely my pick because he's the complete package as a football player. It's the same as picking between Pele and Maradona for me. I'm a Pele man.

TWG: Are you enjoying Jose Mourinho doing it tough at Chelsea this season, or do you feel for 'the special one'?

DG: I feel for him. It's a tough job, being a coach. They're in a bit of a slump, but that happens in football and, for me, Mourinho is the best coach in the world. I met him once and to be in his presence is amazing. Even though I'm a Liverpool person he's my favourite coach, so no matter what club he's at I don't want him to be losing. He's small in stature, but he's got a huge presence.

TWG: What was the last movie you and your girlfriend saw together?

DG: I'm a big movie buff. Emily's not really that big on it, but we watched Scarface together on the internet recently. It was pretty cool.

TWG: Are you the type of player to offer advice to young players at the club, or do you wait until they come to you?

DG: I think everyone needs advice sometimes, including myself, and when it comes to younger players you can see that they want to ask sometimes, but they're shy. So I try to make it more comfortable for them by suggesting that doing things a different way might be an option, rather than saying 'you have to do it this way'. I try to suggest a way of doing things that will make their job easier and I try to do it in a friendly manner so that they might actually listen to me, and not go away at the end of it and think 'what about this guy'. Victory has got that atmosphere where it's a friendly bunch of people and I am that kind of person, so I feel I'm able to connect with the younger players pretty well that way.

TWG: You mentioned Archie Thompson earlier. Why do you think the fans love him so much?

DG: The same reason we love him so much, he's a top-class bloke. You never see him with a sad face. Even if he's going through a struggle in life, he'll never show you. He's a very positive person. He's always happy and an amazing person to be around.

TWG: Finally, if $1 million was deposited into your bank account by mistake, would you wait a while to see if the bank noticed it and contacted you, or would you contact them straight away?

DG: I'd contact them straight away. I don't want to get into any trouble! I don't want the tax department knocking on my door saying 'mate, where did this money come from?' you know. I'd prefer to keep the faith and return it. You could maybe spend it, but what if you then had to give it back? (Laughs).


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7 min read
Published 18 November 2015 5:32pm
Updated 18 November 2015 6:03pm
By Greg Prichard

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