"In the Premier League, the speeds are much higher than in the FNL."

One of the main discoveries of the current RPL season was the performance of Dinamo Makhachkala goalkeeper David Volk. The Kazan native helped the Dagestani club to enter the Premier League for the first time in its history in the spring, and now, after 16 rounds, to stay out of the relegation zone and transition matches in the elite division. The 23-year-old goalkeeper has conceded just 14 goals - fewer only for Zenit, Krasnodar and CSKA.

This led to Volk being called up to the Russian national team for the first time in November. He did not play in the matches against Brunei (11-0) and Syria (4-0), but was in the application for the second meeting. In an interview with Izvestia, the footballer shared his emotions about being in the national team, assessed the first half of the season for Dinamo Makhachkala and said who could be called up to the national team next from his club.

"I set a goal to get into the national team"

- How do you assess the atmosphere in the national team?

- Everything is great. The atmosphere is great, the guys in the team are all friendly. Everyone is educated, which is very important (smiles). And all good soccer players. Everything is very good - I like it very much. I hope the guys also like my behavior and attitude.

- How do you feel about the criticism of the very idea of holding the match against Brunei because of the weakness of the opponent? What can be learned from this game for the team?

- As Valeriy Karpin said, the most important thing is our attitude to this match. It is important how we treat the opponent. Because first of all we need to treat anyone with dignity. And look worthy on the field regardless of how strong the team playing against you is.

- What was it like to watch Ilya Lantratov and Stanislav Agkatsev standing in the goal in the match against Brunei, taking into account that the former never entered the game, and the latter only once had to kick the ball after the opponent's shot?

- I think, any match for a goalkeeper is difficult to some extent. And you need to be always in the game. Ilya and Stanislav coped with it.

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- How would you react if someone told you a year ago, when you played in the first league, that you would be called up to the national team soon enough? Would you have believed it?

- I wasn`t really surprised by this call-up to the national team, so to speak. I set such goals for myself. And, you can say, I achieved them.

- You started in Rubin when Vitaly Kafanov, the current goalkeeper coach of the Russian national team, was working there. Does he now differ from his professional and human qualities from the time of his work in Kazan?

- As a person he has remained as kind and responsive. And as a coach he has become only better.

- Are Kafanov's requirements to goalkeepers then, in Kurban Berdyev's staff at Rubin Kazan, and in Valeri Karpin's current staff at the national team identical?

- In terms of goalkeeping skills, everything is the same as it was. But the function of playing with the feet has been added, which is very necessary in today's soccer. Therefore, this component is given more time.

"Dynamo's results are relatively unsatisfactory".

- When Berdyev was in charge of Dynamo Makhachkala in the first half of last season, was he involved in the work with goalkeepers? Did you feel the influence of his long-term cooperation with Kafanov on him?

- Yes, he also participated in goalkeepers' trainings. Because he has experience of communication and work with Vitaliy Vitalievich. And Kurban Bekievich understands a lot about it, so he gave us a lot of tips and helped us.

- What was it like for you to go to the matches of the national team with its logistics, with train rides to and from Krasnodar?

- These are the realities, there is nothing to be done about it. We can only accept it. Everything is fine.

- How do you assess the chances of the RFU organizing a match of the Russian national team in Makhachkala? If it will be games with teams of the level of Cuba and Brunei, will the attendance be the same as at similar meetings in Volgograd and Krasnodar?

- I am absolutely sure of it. If the stadium will be expanded (the capacity of Anji Arena in Kaspiysk is 28 thousand spectators. - "Izvestia"), even more people will come.

- Who after Valentin Paltsev and you can be called up to the Russian national team from Dinamo Makhachkala?

- Let it be Gamid Agalarov.

- Who did you make friends with in the national team?

- I knew some of the guys before. And if we take those whom I saw for the first time, then, of course, with the goalkeepers. Stanislav Agkatsev, Ilya Lantratov, Alexander Maksimenko - all great people and great friends.

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- Do you believe that you will wait for the moment when you will be called up to the Russian national team for an official match after the ban on its participation in international competitions is lifted?

- I am working for this.

- How would you evaluate the results of Dinamo Makhachkala in the first round of the Russian championship?

- Relatively unsatisfactory. I would like to do better.

- What new experience have you gained for yourself during six months in the RPL? How is the Premier League more difficult for a goalkeeper than the FNL?

- It's all about speed. In the RPL it is much higher.

- Does the goalkeeping past of the head coach of Dynamo (Makhachkala) Hasanbi Bidzhiev influence you?

- I don`t discuss goalkeeping topics with him too often, but he understands everything in this business and can give some advice. But no more than that. Otherwise, he fully trusts our goalkeeper coach to work with us.

"I had achance toplay in Rubin, but an injury prevented me".

- What prevented you from playing in Rubin? Were there any chances to break into the team in Kazan?

- At the age of 17 I signed my first professional contract with Rubin. I think somewhere back then I had a chance to play in Kazan, but an injury prevented me.

- Do you feel that many fans in Dagestan still live in the times of Anji's stardom, when Samuel Eto'o, Yuri Zhirkov, Roberto Carlos and other stars played for the club?

- There are still some people who keep the past in their minds. But still Dynamo is a new history. And everyone is trying to rebuild.

- Is the local public already used to rooting for a club with much less star names like yours?

- I don`t know... But a lot of people are rooting for us. For what we are very grateful to them.

- Arsen Adamov told how after Denis Glushakov's transfer to Akhmat he instructed him about local customs in Grozny. In particular, not to walk down the street in a short-sleeved shirt or T-shirt. Do you have similar restrictions in Makhachkala? Or do they have a simpler attitude to this in Dagestan than in Chechnya?

- I don't think we are restricted in anything. But the rules in each region are different. We try to follow them, but there are no difficulties.

- Are you planning to play for Dinamo Makhachkala in the coming years or do you have ambitions to get to a richer club with the prospects of fighting for titles?

- I always want to move forward and play at a higher level. When these offers will come, then we will think. I hope that they will be.