Daniil Khudyakov: Young goalkeeper breaks Akinfeev’s record at Lokomotiv Moscow

©TM/IMAGO

In the summer training camp ahead of the current season, young goalkeepers Daniil Khudyakov and Andrey Savin were part of the Lokomotiv Moscow squad. Both were previously active for the Lokomotiv-Kazanka farm team, but were also regulars in first-team training at those times. While captain Guilherme remains the number one, the other two complete the goalkeeping trio. This was a conscious decision made after the departure of Anton Kochenkov. Now, the youngsters are to get their chance.

Khudyakov in particular attracted attention, praised last season by the head coach at the time. “Look at this little guy. How confident he's doing everything, and he's 17,” the manager raved in a conversation with the club’s press officer. “A great talent,” the coach continued. “The coaching staff told us that we must always be ready, because our chance could come at any time,” Khudyakov explained in an interview with Transfermarkt.ru. “The fact that this chance then comes so early was a bit unexpected for me,” the youngster says about his debut last September. Regular goalkeeper Guilherme had been sent off in the second half against Khimki before Khudyakov, at age 17, became one of the ten youngest goalkeepers in the Russian Premier Liga.

“It all happened so suddenly and of course I was a bit nervous, but mentally I was ready as I had been preparing for this scenario for months,” Khudyakov said about his first match. The game against Khimki ended in a 0-0 draw and the talented player was also allowed to start in the next two matches because Guilherme was not available due to suspension. Although Khudyakov conceded two goals in each of the two games and was shaky at one point or another, he saved his team several times. The youth international made a total of nine saves in the two outings.

The fact that the Moscow native plays for Lokomotiv at all was not planned. His move to the academy happened rather spontaneously. “Everything came about rather by chance. A friend of my mother’s had offered to take me and her son to a trial at Loko’s academy, as we enjoyed playing together. In the end, we were both accepted into the academy,” explains Khudyakov, initially no friend of his current position. “They put me in goal just because I was the tallest in my year. But at first, I didn’t like it at all, I even cried because of it. But pretty quickly I did like playing in goal.”

Khudyakov sees Neuer as a role model: “Has shaped the modern goalkeeper”

Khudyakov continued to develop, already taking his first steps as a professional last season when he played for farm team Lokomotiv-Kazanka in the third division – at the age of just 16. There he made a total of 13 appearances, sharing time with Savin, who is currently the club’s third goalkeeper. Khudyakov quickly got used to the level because he had always been training with older players and had to assert himself against them, as he says himself. Nevertheless, having luck and being “in the right place at the right time” also played a big role, he continues. Khudyakov, meanwhile, is learning a lot from Manuel Neuer, who is his role model. “The way Neuer plays in goal has shaped the modern goalkeeper. He comes out of the goal and supports his teammates.” The Russian also looks up to Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy.

Khudyakov sees his reflexes, his height of 1.94 meters and his legs as his advantages. Despite the height, he manages to be down quickly. Still, Khudyakov is eager to develop. "I need to work more on my physique so that my jumps are more powerful. My understanding of the game also needs to get better, because we operate with a high defensive line and I have to be an option to receive the ball for the defenders or even cover them sometimes when they are too high up. Then the opponent tries to play the ball behind their back and I have to be there in time. We still have to work on this component,” says Khudyakov, who is the third most valuable goalkeeper in his age group worldwide, with a market value of €175,000.

Due to an injury to Guilherme that will keep him out of action for the remaining games in 2021, Khudyakov has been back in goal recently and will continue to start. Most recently, the youth international made his international debut in the Europa League, where he is now the youngest Russian goalkeeper. Until then, Igor Akinfeev held the record. Khudyakov, however, does not attach much importance to such records. “Of course, it’s nice to see that you’ve broken a record, but it’s not the most important thing, because the main thing is to keep working on yourself and getting better.” The right-footed youngster knows he needs to perform even more confidently to give assurance to those in front of him. “The whole team supports me from the start and gives me confidence. The guys themselves say I should quietly raise my voice when it’s appropriate, of course. It’s important to be aware of your strengths and not be afraid to make mistakes,” explained Khudyakov, who sees working with Guilherme as a great advantage. "Guilherme is very helpful and he gives a lot of advice. You can learn a lot from him, he plays very well with his legs and often initiates attacks like almost no other goalkeeper in Russia.”

Khudyakov is aware that he still has a lot of work to do to reach a similar level as he describes. But he says he is confident he can meet the challenge and brings the necessary confidence. His goal for the near future, he says, is to fight for a place in head coach Markus Gisdol’s starting eleven. Meanwhile, Khudyakov enjoys the appreciation of Guilherme, who calls his teammate a “great talent. I am sure he is the future of Lokomotiv. There is a lot for him to learn. Of course, mistakes are normal at this age, he is still very young. I’m sure that sooner or later Khudyakov will be a great goalkeeper.”

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.