In the interview that followed, the conversation primarily focused on Wang Shuo's past and his rapid rise this season.
Wang Shuo was well-prepared.
Just as Thomas Essien, Klopp, and others had advised him, when answering these types of questions, he had to show his determination without coming off as obnoxious.
No one likes arrogance or conceit.
Wang Shuo kept this principle in mind as he answered Massimo Frankie's questions.
It was a situation he wasn't entirely comfortable with, but it was no longer unfamiliar.
Thanking the team, the coach, his teammates, his family, and his friends—the usual stuff.
The most pointed question, of course, was being compared to previous winners of the Golden Boy Award.
Especially Messi.
"Messi is the kind of genius who lights up the pitch for anyone watching him play, but I'm definitely not that!" Wang Shuo said with conviction.
