Martin Ádám: I have to prove myself when I get the chance

– You can claim to be a champion since Sunday. How are the days going of a new gold medalist in South Korea?
– Thank you, they are going pleasantly – Ádám Martin, 27-year-old striker of Ulsan Hyundai and who has eight caps for Hungary, said when asked by Nemzeti Sport. – After it was clear that we would play the last round without any stakes, we were given three days off and had to report for training on Thursday morning. It was good to relax, we went out with the family here and there because there is a lot to see in Ulsan. We tried to make up for what we had missed because of our busy schedule. These days off are good, but there's only one problem: they go by fast.

– If I tell you that everything that has happened to you in the last few months is like a fairy tale, would you agree?
– Absolutely. In fact, not just in the last few months, but in the last year and a half. I was part of a great team in Paks, I played well, and I was the top scorer. In the meantime, I've been selected for the national team, I don't think I've been a disappointment, and since July, this truly fairy-tale story has been going on in South Korea. But I'm trying to make sure that success doesn't go to my head and I'm trying to keep going down this road because it takes me to the right direction.

– Can we say that the reason why you've transferred to Ulsan is because of what you've been involved in recently?
– Everything turned out as I had hoped, maybe even better. I wasn't worried that I'd miss out on goals, but I didn't expect the adjustment to be so quick, though I'm not shy... Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for my first goal, and my first assist came with it, which helped me find my place in the team very quickly. I'm happy that I kept my good form throughout, and whether I was a starter or a substitute, I took advantage of it.

– It was no different last Sunday against Gangwon either. Before head coach Hong Myung Bo asked you to play in the sixty-sixth minute, what did he ask of you? Did he ask you to assist and score a goal?
– He obviously sent me in with the intention of helping the team. The opposing team had just taken the lead while we needed at least a point to secure first place. I think I would have come on either way, but in hindsight, it looks good that we turned the game around after I came on. I actually didn't attach much importance to being a starter or a substitute. As we played matches every three days, it's understandable that the professional staff rotated the players. All I had in mind was to contribute to the team's play. It's simple: I have to prove myself when I get the chance.

– The goal, which you pushed into the net with your chest, is worth a golden goal. Have you ever scored this way?
– Never before, but the point is that it went in. I was very happy after the whistle - and I still am! However, we didn't win the league with that game, but the week before, against Jeonbuk. In fact, it was that match that decided the gold medal, and it was the one that gave us an eight-point lead, which has since turned out to be an unsurpassable lead.

– Just for the record: you also started playing against Jeonbuk when the score was 0-1. The rest is known...
– I scored two goals in extra time, and we won two on one with them. It's an unforgettable experience. So, the league was decided then, and the match against Gangwon was just the icing on the cake.

– Was there a party on the way home?
– Of course! Sometimes we take the train or bus to the away games, and we choose the bus this time. It took us more than five hours to get back to Ulsan, and we had to do some shopping on the way to keep the trip from being boring...

– After seventeen years, Ulsan is the champion again. What does this victory mean for the club?
– A lot! Seventeen years is a long time, and many people felt they were hungry for success. It was also a bit of a strain, especially when our lead began to dwindle. Last year, Ulsan lost the title in the last round, and some feared that history would repeat itself. That's why it was more important than ever to defeat them when we had a five-point lead over Jeonbuk. In those days, we, the foreign players, were less nervous than the home players, and we tried to calm them down.

– You became a champion for the first time in your career. Is it a great feeling?
– It feels good, for sure. And so will the moment be when I get the medal on Sunday and lift the trophy in the presence of my family. I'm really looking forward to it!

– Until then, let's do some statistics: in your thirteen league games so far, you have scored nine goals and assisted three times. Not bad, is it?
– No, but – as I always say – I don't overthink it. I'm trying to keep up this level, I'm working hard, and we'll see what comes out of it.

– Has the football fever broken out in Ulsan?
– It has! When I first arrived, there were seven or eight thousand people went to the games, but the closer we got to winning the league, the bigger the crowd got. Over 20,000 people bought tickets for the game against Jeonbuk. You have to know that the rivalry between these two clubs here is like that between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain. So, you can imagine the atmosphere when we defeated our main rivals in what was considered a league final. Our fans are fantastic, almost crazy. I really like them, too.

– Did I see correctly on the footage that there was a Hungarian flag flying on the stands last time?
– Oh, from the very beginning. A little child was waving it; I'm happy when I see it.

– Only the gala against Jeju United on Sunday is left, right?
– It will be wonderful to celebrate on the home field in front of a full house. Although some players think another game is just a pain in the neck, we want to end the season in a dignified way, meaning that we want to win. That would make the story really nice and complete.

Translated by Vanda Orosz.