Former Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel made a name for himself over the years for his tough-tackling, no-nonsense approach - but now he is having to get used to the No.10 role.
The 38-year-old announced his retirement from professional football last year after struggling with a persistent back problem. He had clocked over 500 appearances for the likes of Liverpool, Zenit St Petersburg and Fenerbache, before ending at Slovakian outfit Spartak Trnava.
However, after a short spell out of the game, Skrtel has decided to return and play for local amateur team FK Hajskala Raztocno in the Slovakian eighth tier. Rather than deploying the usual centre-half berth that he was so used to in his professional career, Skrtel has opted to play in a different position for his new team.
"I actually play as the No 10," Skrtel told The Athletic. "When I went along for the first game, I said I'd go in my normal position at centre-back but after 10 minutes, I said to the coach, 'Listen, how about I play as the No 6?'. After another 10 minutes, I said, 'How about I play further up?'.
"I played a few games as a striker and got a few goals. Now I’ve dropped a bit little deeper. I basically get to run where I want. A free role — a bit like Lionel Messi!"
A clip surfaced online earlier this month of Skrtel whipping a 20-yard free kick into the top corner, something Messi usually prides himself on. It was a terrific strike from the Slovakian, who is enjoying his football.
Skrtel admitted, however, that he did promise his friends that he would play for their side when he retired - and made that during his time at Liverpool. "I told my friends, 'One day when I’m retired, I’ll come back home and play with you guys'," he added.
"It’s the team in the village where I was born. My parents still live there and I have many friends there. I do it for them. When I first said I was going to play, everyone was thinking it would just be for one game. We had more than 3,000 people there. Now, it’s usually about 500 to 600.
"I can’t train, because of my back. I just go along each Sunday and play the game. For two or three days after, I can’t do any kind of outdoor activity because I’m so f****d.
"I’ve got nine or 10 goals this season. We’re second in the table, but I can’t say we want promotion. We’ve got quite an old team. Our goalkeeper, I think, is 56, and we have a few other players in their mid-40s. The most important thing is to have fun. We don’t push it."
Skrtel became a real cult hero at Liverpool for his work ethic, quality and the way he conducted himself on and off the pitch. In total, he made 320 appearances on Merseyside, scoring 18 goals and winning one major trophy.
He'll be back at Anfield for a legends charity match against Celtic on Saturday, and if the Reds get a free-kick then Steven Gerrard could have competition.
