Wolves’ explosive wide man Adama Traore shares what he gets up to once the game is finished in the first edition of After the Final Whistle.
Back in the changing room
“I try to speak with my family, ask them how everything is, and they ask me if I’m OK. Then I try to eat something, drink what I have to and start the recovery process. After, I go to have a massage and then the cold water, then I go on the machine to recover my legs.”
Reacting to a win or loss
“Nobody wants to lose, but whatever the result, I try to see the good things to take from the game and bad things. I watch some clips or my actions and try to ask the people around me who saw the game, and the manager, how they saw the game and what I can improve, and I work from there.”
Speaking to the press
“I don’t mind talking after the game. What I don’t like is speaking before the game, for me there’s nothing to say before the game. You are ready, you have to show what you can show and after the game I’ll talk about what happened.”
Starting recovery
“For me, it’s important mentally to have the mindset of focus and solutions when something happens. Taking a lot of time thinking of a win or loss, and not focusing on the next one, you’re just losing time. For me, it’s important to start straight after the game. I’m thinking of the next steps.”
Post-match food
“Normally, I try to eat within an hour or two hours to refuel the body. I try to eat pasta, meats, rice, all kind of things that help my body recover. Mayur takes care of the diet and after the game he tells me what to eat and the plan. His plans tells me what to eat and drink before and after games, so I try to follow the plan.”
Getting over a defeat
“I analyse the game, speak with the teammates, what was missing inside the game, what we did good and what we missed to help us with the game. After, the positive things we did, and we set a plan to improve on the things we didn’t do well in the game.”
Watching the game back
“I like to watch myself because you have feelings inside a game, but outside you see other things. You want to improve, so it’s very important you watch yourself.”
Social media reaction
“If I have to put something, I talk to my agent. He tells me to push what I want, and if I feel it I’ll do it, if not I’ll leave it. I don’t watch the comments because it’s football and everyone has comments, this is the game, and they don’t always help. I like to read comments if I have to do some action to help people, to go to see people who want to see me, so I look at the comments and try to motivate people. Comments after the game, anyone was speak, but my point of view, I just have the mindset to improve.”
Relaxing and recovering
“I do some machines and I watch highlights of the other games, and I like to chill with my family and friends and eat – that’s it.”
Talking it through
“It’s my mum, my father, my brother, my sister, my uncle sometimes with message me. They all talk with me and they’re honest. Honesty is important, they’re not always going to tell me the game went well, but if it didn’t, they’ll tell me where to improve and tell me I’m capable. It’s important, it’s no good hearing everything is good all the time, it’s important to have the point of view of someone who knew you since you were a child.”
