Professionals, 16. January 2019
… his reasons for joining the club:
“Stuttgart are a big club who obviously shouldn’t be in the position they’re in at the moment. Their current position in the table is of no great importance to me. Being near the top or further down the table doesn’t affect my personal approach. I always look at things on a game-by-game basis and want to win every single one. You start from scratch every matchday, and each time there are three more points up for grabs. The discussions with Michael Reschke and Markus Weinzierl were much more important [in persuading me to join the club]. They totally convinced me.”
… his first few days in Stuttgart and at VfB:
“I’ve already looked at a couple of flats here in Stuttgart and think I’ll move into one of them soon. I think I’ll feel at home quickly. I’m also on the right track in sporting terms after my ankle injury. I was able to participate in parts of training yesterday and hope to be able to train normally again this afternoon. I obviously want to settle in quickly and give my all right away, but I need to wait for permission from the doctors and physios, who need to keep my enthusiasm under control.”
… his mindset and the type of player he is:
“I feel most comfortable in attack, be it on the left or right. However, if my coach needs me in another position I’ll do my best to settle seamlessly into the team. I want to help the team gradually climb the table. If there’s one thing the club’s fans can expect from me, it’s that I’ll always fight to the bitter end and give my all. I’ve come to Stuttgart to deliver good performances and help the team. I’m someone who likes to tackle things head-on and likes to attack. Maybe that’s why I took the number nine shirt! I like that number, it was still available and I wore it as a youth team player. That’s why it didn’t take me long to make my mind up. I just took it.”