Rokas Pukštas: I heard stories about Hajduk fans. They once dug 11 graves for the players

– Split is an amazing city, especially the weather. It is right next to the sea. You have everything here. You have mountains, sea, climate and great fans. It is a smaller city, but the culture here is very strong. When I came at the age of 16, it was always safe. I have traveled to many places. Split is my favorite – he started and described how Torcida jumped over the fence and went to the games last season.

– I talked to fans from the past. The team would be in a series of defeats and the fans would go to the training field overnight and dig 11 graves for the players… Those people are serious. They expect us to win every weekend. This is something I have never experienced before – admitted the American.

Pukštas also revealed how it felt to share the locker room with Ivan Periši, who played in Hajduk from January 2024 until the end of the season.

– I remember thinking: ‘I’m really sitting here with him’. He played in the World Cup final and I’m an 18-year-old kid… I’m the type of person who asks a lot of questions. I’m not afraid to ask.

However, Pukštas admitted that Ivan Rakitić was the biggest role model in the dressing room.

– I asked him about the World Cup. I remember him telling me about the penalty shootout, about the nervousness he felt, how everyone was under stress because they were outsiders. Each time they went further, they would become more and more confident. Everyone is nervous, nobody wanted to miss, and Rakitić had to say. ‘Okay, I’ll shoot first’, and then everyone can gain confidence. Few people have such experience. This is what I dream of experiencing. This will prepare me to be at the level when my opportunities come – says Pukštas.

Hajduk’s trump card dreams of appearing at the World Cup with the USA national team, although the question is whether he will be on the passenger list.

– My goal is to reach the senior national team and play. I feel that this is it. One step at a time, but that’s what I’m focused on. If I think I deserve a call and I don’t get it, I think about the things I need to improve. Then it rolls like a snowball. I know that when the opportunity comes, I will be ready. It helps me because it makes me question myself and see what I can do better, so that I don’t relax. If I had been given an opportunity too soon and if I had not been ready, the second one might never have come.

Interestingly, Pukštas likes to play chess in his spare time.

– I like to play chess because it helps me with mental focus. I continue to strive for higher levels, but it is a daily process. I gain confidence from knowing that I did everything I could to prepare for the performance.

It is known that the American with Lithuanian roots has great physical predispositions, and his father and mother were successful athletes.

– My parents did a great job instilling in me that I am a hard worker. The worst thing that can happen to me is to become complacent. I can’t expect them to play or achieve anything. One of the best things for a young player is that he is expected to play at a high level, and I think that is ingrained in my character. That built me ​​as a player without big swings, a player who simply delivers – he added.

Pukštas played 26 games this season and scored eight goals, with three assists. According to Transfermarkt, he is worth five million euros.