Thursday 18 June 2020 19:48, UK
Excel Esports had a rough start in the new season of the LEC after going 0-3 in Week One but their rookie player Kryze is trying to keep positive despite a shaky debut.
Kryze locked in an ambitious Kayle pick in his first ever game in the LEC against Rogue but Excel's lacklustre and messy performance saw them fall to Rogue, Mad Lions and Fnatic meaning they, alongside Schalke, are bottom of the standings after just one week.
Despite the poor start, Excel's rookie player Kryze, who didn't get to show off his skills as much as he would have liked to, is trying to stay positive and explained a little bit more about what he's expected to do at his new org.
He said: "I'm kind of the plan B if my team doesn't perform well, that's when I can step in and try to carry them. I don't necessarily see myself as the main carry player, even though I can be. But if bot-side loses I guess I can step in and try to carry.
"I am a very calm person in general to be honest, I never tilt. In game, I rarely play tanks but I do when I am needed to. You'll probably see me play something like Vlad or Kayle."
Kryze did indeed play both Kayle and Vladimir in Week One but only managed a positive K/D in the game against Fnatic - where his bot lane struggled to get into the match. It's certainly not too farfetched for Excel to have brought him in as a secondary carry but it'll be interesting to see who can fulfil that role more consistency between him and mid-laner Special.
In order to get more accustomed to the LEC however, Kryze acknowledges he does need to work on his self-belief and confidence. His former coach Samuel Harkins tweeted prior to Kryze's LEC debut: "Coaching Kryze a year ago on OFK/Falkn, we set some goals for the short term and the long term and he said to me 'I want to play LEC, but I don't think I'm good enough.' Today go show that you're the best top laner in LEC and fulfil that goal you set."
In response to this statement, Kryze told us: "Sometimes I think I am too hard on myself. I am just not sure you know? I have trouble seeing how good I am but I think I have evolved a lot this year so I try and do believe I am good enough.
"I just think sometimes when I look at other Korean players or LEC people, they just seem so insane at the game and I want to match them. To be honest, when I really, really think about it I do believe it's something I can do."
