At 20 years of age, Tim van der Leij is joining the second club of his professional career – and moving abroad for the first time – after leaving Dutch second-division side RKC Waalwijk for VfB Stuttgart. The young striker spoke about his excitement at joining the Cannstatt club as well as his attitude, development and expectations in his first VfB interview, brought to you by Team Partner Egetrans.
Hello Tim, a warm welcome to VfB Stuttgart. What were the key factors behind your move to VfB?
Tim: “This is a fantastic step for me and a big opportunity. I’m really looking forward to playing for VfB. I’ve watched a few of their games and have obviously seen the progress young players have been making in Stuttgart of late. I also want to develop step by step, so the plan is to start training with the U21s before being gradually integrated into the first team.”
Your height of 1.93m doesn’t go unnoticed. What style of play can fans expect from you?
Tim: “I’m a number nine and enjoy playing in a central striking role. Aside from my height and my attitude, I try to use my technical ability to help the team hold the ball up and spread the play – and score goals too, ideally – so we can be successful together.”
What are you like off the pitch?
Tim: “I’m a fairly quiet guy, who is already looking forward to meeting his new team-mates. I’m also excited to see a bit of the city and, by extension, my new home.”
Tim van der Leij:
I was immediately captivated by the atmosphere in the stadium. It’s breathtaking how loud the fans are and how good the atmosphere is.
You’ll be getting to know Stuttgart and VfB even better in the near future. How much do you already know about our club?
Tim: “I was immediately captivated by the atmosphere in the stadium. It’s breathtaking how loud the fans are and how good the atmosphere is. It’s a dream of mine to play in an arena like that one day, which is why I’ll be working hard to reach that level as soon as possible. I’m also aware that VfB have qualified for Europe three times in a row now, and that they’ve had a lot of success in the DFB Cup.”
And finally, a question about your family: when you signed your contract with VfB, you were accompanied by your grandfather. What role does he play in your life?
Tim: “My granddad is my biggest supporter (laughs). He’s just always there at every game – whether we’re at home or away – so it was special for him to accompany me to Stuttgart. I’m grateful we got to share that moment.”
