Rekkles on being T1’s substitute: “I am not here to be the center of attention.”

T1 continues their impressive journey at the League of Legends Worlds 2024 (LoL Worlds 2024) event, advancing to the Knockout Stage where they are set to face Top Esports in a highly anticipated rematch on Oct. 19. Despite their strong performance — dropping only one match against Top Esports during the Swiss Stage — there's been notable attention on Rekkles, who is T1’s substitute player.

Rekkles, a former League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) player and current support for T1 Esports Academy, was named as T1’s sole substitute for the tournament, a requirement under Worlds 2024's rules. While the Swedish star has yet to step onto the stage albeit being present in the waiting room, he’s been staying low-key, contributing behind the scenes in his own unique way.

"I am not here to be the center of attention or take any space. Unnecessary space, of course. I'm just here to support the guys in any way I can. And so far, that has been playing chess with Faker and playing ping pong with Keria," Rekkles shared in an interview with Tolkin LoL.

Rekkles is no stranger to the biggest stage in LoL esports, having competed in Worlds six times — 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 — primarily as Fnatic's AD Carry. His best result came in 2018 when Fnatic finished as the runner-up.

However, returning to Worlds as a substitute support player for T1 is a new experience for him, and one that he finds a bit surreal. "It's weird, to be honest. I, of course, wanted to go the second they asked me. There was no question about it."

Since arriving in Berlin for the Swiss Stage, Rekkles has been spotted dining with the team, filming content for T1 and LoL Esports, and even making an appearance at T1’s pop-up store in the city. While fans have no way to know how his interactions with the main roster are, Rekkles clarified that he’s careful not to interfere with team strategy.

"These [T1 players] are veterans. It's just weird, I think, if I tell them, like, 'Hey, do this' or 'Play that.' Of course, I give my opinion, but I don't have the same dynamic to them as I did with my own teammates," he explained.

Additionally, Rekkles also expressed deep respect for T1’s decisions and especially for Faker, who is attending Worlds more times than him. "Speaking to Faker who's been here nine times, there's no point for me to tell him anything. I just try to support him, ask him how he is, if he needs anything, play a bit of chess to get his brain going and then watch him smashing on stage."

Watch the full interview in Tolkin LoL through a clipped video below:

Stay tuned on esports.gg for news regarding Rekkles and T1's journey at Worlds 2024.