FIRST TEAM
02/17/2015

Nadiem Amiri: "I was exhausted after my debut"

18-year-old Nadiem Amiri made his Bundesliga debut against Wolfsburg, featuring in the starting XI, and kept his place in the line-up for the derby victory over VfB Stuttgart. His career appears to be on a fast track. He came to TSG in 2012, won the U19 Bundesliga in 2014 and was then welcomed into the first team squad during pre-season.

Hello, Nadiem. As a young boy, you must have dreamt of playing in the Bundesliga. What were your dreams back then?

Nadiem Amiri: My dreams were probably exactly the same as every young footballer. I always wanted to play in the Bundesliga and as soon as possible. That was always my goal and I'm glad that I've achieved it already.

You've been training with the first team squad since last summer. How was it to begin with and when did you realise that you could keep up with everyone and weren't out of your depth?

Amiri: I quickly realised that I can keep up with everyone. It was obviously difficult to begin with but the team welcomed me and made me feel at ease. I've developed a great deal over the past few months. My teammates help me when I need advice or have questions.

When and how did you find out that you were in the starting line-up for the game against Wolfsburg?

Amiri: I found out at our pre-match team meeting. I was very pleased but then also nervous because, after all, Wolfsburg are one of the best clubs in the Bundesliga. It was even better that I got to play the full 90 minutes and I thought I improved as the game went on. I was exhausted afterwards. My debut would obviously have been even better if we'd won.

Do you want to tell us what Andre Schürrle said to you after the game?

Amiri: He asked me if it was my first game in the Bundesliga and said that I had played well and to keep going. We spoke a bit about this and that; we come from the same city so we've known each other for a while.

You were in the starting line-up again for the game against Stuttgart…

Amiri: As a young player, it's great to be in the starting line-up two games in a row and to be trusted by your manager. It was a fantastic feeling and I was particularly pleased that we got the result.

What are your hopes for the rest of the season?

Amiri: I'd like to play as often as possible and be in the squad. My aim is to get as much game time as I can and obviously improve.

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