I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
When you score a goal in front of the fans in the Südtribüne, it’s indescribable. I’m not the sort of person who’ll go up to the fans by myself so that they can all congratulate me. That’s not how I am. Sometimes, I may come across as being a bit shy, which isn’t entirely untrue. I am a bit shy but, really, it’s because I see myself as being part of a team with everyone else – no single player wins a game, it’s the whole team.
Obviously, I know I won’t be here for that many more years, so I do try to enjoy every goal whenever we have a full house, and to enjoy the Südtribüne all the more. There’s an awareness here for players who may need some support: “We’re always there for you, no matter what happens.” They do this very well here, so you try to do your best. That gives you a really great feeling on the pitch. Those are the moments you get goosebumps, and I’m the kind of person who really enjoys that. I find it very touching and I’m very grateful to the people for thinking of me and supporting me.
When a player is at a club for a long time and has a lot of success, scoring plenty of goals and also playing many matches, people of course remember that. But it’s still difficult to say how big an influence one player has had. We’ve had a lot of great players who’ve helped form the club for one or two seasons and we’ve had coaches who were at the club for 20 or 30 years. They really built something here. I’ve just tried to do my best, but also to be loyal. That’s really important to me. And to take the club further.
It was always my dream to play for Dortmund. There are so many things that came together here; it’s simply home, family, comfort. I’d never have thought I’d have the chance to play for this club for so long. I’ve been able to help it rise upwards, particularly in European terms. And then, to be able to say, “I’m having a great time here,” why should that come to an end? There’s lots of history still to be written, on several fronts. I’m very proud of the journey so far and hope I’ll be able to stay for more.
I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
When you score a goal in front of the fans in the Südtribüne, it’s indescribable. I’m not the sort of person who’ll go up to the fans by myself so that they can all congratulate me. That’s not how I am. Sometimes, I may come across as being a bit shy, which isn’t entirely untrue. I am a bit shy but, really, it’s because I see myself as being part of a team with everyone else – no single player wins a game, it’s the whole team.
Obviously, I know I won’t be here for that many more years, so I do try to enjoy every goal whenever we have a full house, and to enjoy the Südtribüne all the more. There’s an awareness here for players who may need some support: “We’re always there for you, no matter what happens.” They do this very well here, so you try to do your best. That gives you a really great feeling on the pitch. Those are the moments you get goosebumps, and I’m the kind of person who really enjoys that. I find it very touching and I’m very grateful to the people for thinking of me and supporting me.
When a player is at a club for a long time and has a lot of success, scoring plenty of goals and also playing many matches, people of course remember that. But it’s still difficult to say how big an influence one player has had. We’ve had a lot of great players who’ve helped form the club for one or two seasons and we’ve had coaches who were at the club for 20 or 30 years. They really built something here. I’ve just tried to do my best, but also to be loyal. That’s really important to me. And to take the club further.
It was always my dream to play for Dortmund. There are so many things that came together here; it’s simply home, family, comfort. I’d never have thought I’d have the chance to play for this club for so long. I’ve been able to help it rise upwards, particularly in European terms. And then, to be able to say, “I’m having a great time here,” why should that come to an end? There’s lots of history still to be written, on several fronts. I’m very proud of the journey so far and hope I’ll be able to stay for more.
I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself here and generally in my life, and to give something back to the club, the city and the fans in terms of personality and authority. This also goes for how I act in private: I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. That was always the idea I wanted to carry into my career: to be myself, to be genuine, to not be something I’m not and to enjoy each day and get the best out of myself. I try to pass that on to those around me.
It didn’t matter whether I became famous or not – that never made a big difference to me. I’m not somebody who enjoys talking about myself and hearing only positive things about myself. That’s just the way I am by nature, the way I was raised and how I still am. It’s not that I find it bad when people say something positive about themselves. That’s fine. But I hope that people have got to know me as a person who is open and states his opinion and doesn’t mince his words but who is still a very quiet guy and pragmatic in his approach to many things. I’ve always tried to get the best out of myself on the pitch and do everything for the club and for the fans.
It’s only a short career. It might not seem that way but it’s over relatively quickly. You have to acquire experience and make the most of your opportunities. I’ve always tried to achieve success with my performances and scoring goals, just trying to help the team. For me, that’s always been associated with a certain amount of fun, playing with a smile on my face. Fun plays a big role in football and you often see that on the pitch. Of course, it’s difficult when things aren’t going well. But it’s at these times in particular that you should try to enjoy yourself, so you can get out of the situation you’re in.
