Has RB Leipzig also made you even stronger?

“The quality of the squad, the infrastructure, the coaching staff are all at the top level and fit my personal philosophy very well. It was always important to me that I am part of a team that is competing for titles. I want to win games, as many as possible – that is my approach.”

You seem to be very happy with your move to RB Leipzig.

"I noticed in my first training session here that I was working at another level, so I would also have to get better to play a role here. This motivation is very important to me.”

Was there a teammate who helped make you even better?

“Last year with Konni (Laimer) was very special because we had already been playing together forever – we’ve known each other since the U12s. Together, we were very difficult to play against. We also said that to each other at some point – and that made us even stronger.”

It’s been a really good start to the new season, hasn’t it?

"Absolutely, despite our performance in Leverkusen not being quite up to scratch. It’s completely normal to have a day like that straight after pre-season, when you’re not quite on top of your game. We got into the swing of things after that, though. It’s certainly not been the simplest of starts to the season, but we’ve picked up wins from some tough games already this season, such as the away victory in Gladbach.

In games like that, you need to have an unbelievably strong mentality, especially when everyone else is bigging you up and downplaying the opposition. Overall, we’re really pleased with how the last few weeks have gone.”