The playmaker for the Russian national team and CSKA-2, Ilya Ermakov, shared his emotions in an interview with "SE" about being part of the national team.
— This was your second call-up for the matches against Tunisia and Libya. How did you react to your first call-up to the national team in the summer?
— It's a funny story. I saw the message about the expanded list of 25 players, but I didn’t even bother looking for my name. I’m only 16 years old; the national team feels like a distant dream. Then my mom or dad (I don't remember exactly) called me and said that I made it onto the list. I was in shock, I couldn’t believe it. I opened the article again, and tears of joy came to my eyes. Of course, I wasn’t in the final list yet, but the coach noticed me, and my hard work paid off. Later, I was told: you’re going to training camp, and that was a shock for me. I watch VTB League matches on TV and didn’t know how to interact with the guys. After all, they are older and much more experienced. I had a slight fear of hazing. But everyone was very welcoming and open. No one paid attention to my age; they treated me like an old friend. I managed to learn something from them and ask questions. For example, I spoke with the guys from "Zenit" about how tough it is to go up against Trent Fraser in practice. How he moves, what tricks he has, and how to guard him correctly.
— When you scored your first points in Perm — what were your feelings?
— When I stepped onto the court, I didn’t think about statistics. I was just filled with pride that I was playing for the national team in a packed "Molot," with six to seven thousand people in the stands. I had never played in front of such a large audience before. After the game, I received many congratulations. Everyone wrote that it’s awesome to debut for the national team at 17, but I understand that I shouldn’t rest on my laurels. It’s a reason to work even harder on myself and keep moving forward.