Q& A: Gonzalo Higuain on Miami
The 32- year- old striker has linked up with David Beckham at MLS new boys Inter Miami, after spells with Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea
How did your move to Inter Miami in September come about?
They contacted me towards the end of last season – it didn’t take very long to reach an agreement. When I heard about Inter Miami’s interest I analysed everything, and pretty much decided straight away. This is a new project and I see a lot of good things – in how we work, the structure, the coach’s style, the players we have and how we train. When you arrive after playing so many years at the top level and start seeing similar things, it makes you feel really confident that everyone wants to do things right, so I’m happy to be here. The club offered me the terms I was looking for and we got the deal done.
Your former Real Madrid team- mate David Beckham is one of the club’s owners. Was he a factor in the move?
I spoke with David and that was also a big plus for me to come here, as I’d been his team- mate in the past. It was only for six months but we won La Liga together, which is a great memory. We got along very well and that clearly helped me not only to come here, but also to earn his trust. I know what kind of guy he is, and the huge ambition he has for Inter Miami.
Do you aim to win titles together in Miami as well?
Of course I want to win titles. Thanks to God, I’ve been able to win titles with almost all of the teams I’ve played for. It’s a new club and we’ve just started to compete in MLS this year, so we’ve got to be a bit patient and not expect amazing results overnight. But I don’t like to lose and rarely do. I came here to help the team grow and win things.
A few weeks after your arrival, your older brother Federico joined from DC United. Did he encourage you to move to America?
I’d been following MLS for a while, as my brother was here. It was a league that always attracted me and got my attention. After seeing some top- notch forwards come over here and enjoy the experience while scoring a lot of goals, it made me curious. I also wanted to try a new league and new experience in a beautiful city. I’m very happy to be able to play alongside my brother – we were together at River Plate for a short period, so to play with him again and also have that connection in our daily lives outside of football is a great joy. We’re finally able to do all those things we couldn’t do for many years!
France international Blaise Matuidi is also in the squad. How do you rate the quality of it so far?
Having two players that have played at the highest level for a long time, like Blaise Matuidi and I, is really positive. A championship, however, is not won by only two players – it’s the team that wins it. The good thing is that I can see plenty of potential within the team to continue growing.
You’ve scored more than 300 goals in your career. What was the key for you to reach that level?
Practising, perfecting my craft, having the desire to improve on anything I did wrong, never giving up and never losing the motivation or passion to continue learning each day. As good a player as you might be, or as much as you have played at the elite level for top clubs, you’ve always got to have motivation to carry on improving.
How do you look back on your time at Juventus? What was the standout moment in Turin?
What I highlight from Juventus is the winning DNA of the organisation; their focus on never finishing second. I took the best things from every team that I played for, and I feel Juve completed me as a player.
What was it like playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at both Juventus and Real Madrid?
Cristiano and I were team- mates at two stages that were quite different. At Madrid, we were both by ourselves and much younger. At Juventus, it was a different stage for us – we both had children and were a lot more mature. Truthfully, I enjoyed our second spell as team- mates more.
Did you enjoy your time at Chelsea? Did you consider staying for longer?
My time playing for Chelsea was brief, but it’s a nice league and a nice city. It would have been great to play in the Premier League for a bit longer, but it wasn’t up to me. That’s the reality of football sometimes. They opted not to buy me and I had to return to Juve.
If your former Argentina team- mate Lionel Messi ever leaves Barcelona, should he consider MLS before he retires? Have you asked him to join Inter Miami yet?!
No, I haven’t asked Leo that. He’s very intelligent and is old enough to make the decision he feels is the right one. When he knows it’s the right time to come, he will come, and if he doesn’t want to, he won’t come. Leo is a very smart person in that regard.
Do you hope your presence in Miami will encourage more star names to join in the future?
Hopefully my arrival will attract more world- class players to MLS. The idea is for this league to grow, and I believe it has the capacity to do so. Hopefully, this league gets even stronger in the years to come.