We took time to speak with Port FC’s David Rochela.
Port FC’s David Rochela has had quite a career. The Galician native started out his career at Deportivo La Coruña, played alongside David De Gea and Bojan Krkic at the U-17 World Cup for Spain and now plays his football in sunny Thailand.
In collaboration with Shoutout Studio, we caught up with David to talk about his journey playing football as he spills the beans on dressing room shenanigans.
BOOTHYPE: You’ve been in Thailand for quite a few years now. What do you love about the country?
David Rochela: I think what I like the most is that the fans are very passionate and respectful at the same time, so you really create very good connection with them. On a personal side, I’ve come to really enjoy eating Khao Pad!
BOOTHYPE: Do you have a pre-match routine or superstition?
David Rochela: Probably the only thing I do differently is think about my family just before we leave the dressing room, they give me the energy.
BOOTHYPE: Do you have a footballing idol when you were growing up?
David Rochela: I can not say one but as a defender, I always admire players like Puyol, Nesta. In Spain, I also looked up to David Villa and David Silva. My first game in La Liga was against Valencia and both Villa and Silva were playing. As you can imagine, it was a difficult debut for me against those two.
BOOTHYPE: Do you have a best friend in football?
David Rochela: Sergio Suarez – we have been playing together for a long time already!
BOOTHYPE: Which is your favourite pair of football boots that you own?
David Rochela: I love the Mercurial Vapor 9, especially in the dark purple and volt colourway. I like how it feels on my feet and how the touch of the ball feels.
BOOTHYPE: Tell us more about your Port FC teammates. Who’s the DJ in the dressing room?
David Rochela: I like most music and I can change my preference according to the mood. But I really do like Nelson Bonilla’s style. He’s from El Salvador so he’s always playing Latin music, Reggaeton… He knows how to liven the mood!
BOOTHYPE: Who are the best and worst dressers in the team?
David Rochela: Charyl’s the best for sure but also he did a lot of things in fashion so in my opinion he has more style. But for worst, it has to be Watchara. He is the only guy who can wear stripes and circles in the same outfit.
BOOTHYPE: Who’s the funny guy in Port FC?
David Rochela: Siwakorn’s great and a funny guy. Always looking to prank and scare people.
BOOTHYPE: Who’s the hardest trainer?
David Rochela: Elias Dolah always finds time to train his body more and more. Doing extra training when we don’t have double trainings and doing exercises after our training session is over. That guy trains really hard.
BOOTHYPE: You need to form a 5-a-side team with teammates you’ve played with in your career. Who would these 5 be and why?
David Rochela: At goalkeeper, it has to be David De Gea. Even at a young age, you can see his potential. Today, he is already a legend for Manchester United. I’ll also have Thiago Alcantara. He’s just so skillful and with Bayern Munich he won everything he could and I’m sure he will continue doing it with Liverpool. Juan Carlos Valeron makes it too. He’s got the best technique and understanding of the game, for me. Andrés Guardado, the Mexican national team captain. He is pure Mexican passion, can play in many positions and he does it well in all of them. And finally, Nacho Fernandez, the Real Madrid player. He’s very strong and can play with both feet.
If you’re keen to get a personal message from David, head on to Shoutout Studio to connect with him and other personalities there.
