Third place in the table, you scored two goals yourself. That couldn’t have been a much better start to a new job, right?
So far so good. We have four wins and we are performing well. We all work hard. I’m enjoying the new competition. It’s a little different style for me, but I’m getting used to it. Extraliga is very high quality and balanced, anyone can beat anyone.
While Verva has been languishing at the lower levels of the table for the last few years, now thanks to your arrival, it is heading upwards.
Of course I like that. During the conversations with sports director Tomáš Vrábel, I felt that the team has high ambitions. I play to win. I wouldn’t go somewhere where the goal was just to save myself. I try to help you succeed.
You already have 26 shots on your account, the most in the entire extra league. Want to show off?
My role is to score goals. I’m an attacking player, I like to get chances. Power plays are working for us, maybe I will add more goals.
Did you acclimatize quickly in the new club?
I arrived in Litvínov just before the start of the extra league, but the cabin received me fantastically. Everyone treats me nicely. The language barrier is not a problem, we can get along just fine in English. And thanks to winning, the mood is great.
What are your first impressions of the city? Compared to Sheffield, where you grew up playing hockey, Litvínov is quite small.
Yes, but I come from a similar small town of Maltby, not far from Sheffield. It suits me not to be in the full bustle of the big city. I have everything I need in Litvínov. And interesting places are not far away. Lake Mosteck, Dresden, Teplice, and especially beautiful nature. Just a short drive and I’m alone in the wilderness.
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This is how Liam Kirk established himself at home against Liberec. Video: Tipsport Extraliga / BPA
Has your fiancée visited you yet?
Yes, she arrived last week, now my parents have also arrived to see me. They like it here too. My fiancee and I also went to Prague. Beautiful city, people were nice. I also tasted the famous Pilsner beer. It’s good, but not my favorite.
How difficult is it to live separately with your partner?
Of course it’s complicated. In recent years, we’ve actually only been visiting each other. She has a job in Sheffield. We want to build a house there, but for now it will be a nomadic hockey life. We are planning to get married next summer and then he will travel the world with me. I realize that he has to sacrifice a lot for me and I appreciate that. But she knows that hockey is my first love and a job that I adore. She liked it in the Czech Republic, so she definitely wouldn’t be angry if I stayed here.
In May, you can also play for Great Britain in the Czech Republic at the World Championship in the Prague group.
That’s a huge motivation. I’m especially happy that we got back to the elite division after just one year after being relegated. It would be nice to play the championship in Prague. Hopefully some fans from Britain will come too. And the Czech fans will certainly create a fantastic atmosphere. She is amazing in extralize. Drums and chants go non-stop.
Two years ago, you became the top scorer of the championship in Riga with seven goals. Is it even possible to repeat something like this, or is it a once-in-a-lifetime thing?
Well, we’ll see, it’s going to be complicated. But I’m an offensive player and in the national team I’m mainly wanted to score goals. So maybe I’ll fail there again.
At the same time, you started only in the third highest Swedish competition. How have you managed to make such progress since then?
There is a lot of work behind it. I have progressed as a player and as a person. The NHL draft motivated me even more. I proved to myself and to many doubters that I can play hockey at the highest level. I’m still only 23 years old and only in my third year playing hockey professionally.
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Kirk scored his first extra league goal on Brno ice. Video: Tipsport Extraliga / BPA
That made you waste almost the entire first season on the Tucson farm.
It is true. I’ve always dreamed of the NHL, maybe I wasn’t that far away from it. I was getting a lot of space on the ice, but then I hurt my knee. But I think everything happens for a reason. The next year I didn’t feel wanted overseas. After all, it’s just business, they didn’t count on me anymore. Maybe in the future I’ll try to fight for the NHL, but right now I’m concentrating on Litvínov. I finally feel like I belong somewhere and I’m welcome there.
A boy from Britain probably doesn’t have it easy in the hockey environment.
Of course, it is not our number one sport. But I fell in love with hockey as a child and I knew that I would follow my own path and want to make a living from it. I really believed in myself even at that time, even though my friends were shooting at me. It was a long and difficult journey. When I was sixteen, no one believed that I would be drafted into the NHL. But I did it. Maybe I will be an inspiration for other British players.
How is hockey progressing on the Islands?
It definitely gets better every year. When I look at the competition and the players in it, I think it’s the best it’s ever been. Of course, we are still far from the elite leagues, but hopefully things will change.
Didn’t you try football when you were young?
A little yes, but I was a hoof. (laughs) While the others went digging for the barracks in the evening, I took my skates and went to practice in the winter.
In one of the interviews, you mentioned that your close friend is former football goalkeeper Petr Čech, who switched to hockey after his career. How did you meet?
I have to debunk this myth, I guess my answer got lost in translation. And my teammates keep making fun of me. (smiles) Petr Čech knows my good friend, who also plays for Oxford. Not with me personally. But it is true that Petr wrote to me after the transfer was announced. He wished me good luck with my new job in the Czech Republic and mentioned that there are great players and coaches here. It was nice of him. We’ve never met before but hopefully we’ll get lucky as I’m a big Chelsea fan.
2023-09-29 06:42:29
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