While others were called the future, Petrov simply reached the national team

Opening

The Baltika midfielder did not burst into football with a poster of the future saviour. He walked a longer road: through the Lokomotiv system, Kazanka, Alania, Neftekhimik, hard adult football with no allowances — and only then reached the role of one of Baltika's most useful players and a debut for the Russian national team.

Russian football loves quick success stories. At 18 you should already be "the new someone", at 19 the highlights, at 20 the talk of Europe. Maksim Petrov is not about that at all.