“It’s always been my dream to play for VfB”

Nick, welcome! Training began on Thursday, which was also the first time that you met your new team-mates. How did the day go for you?

Nick Woltemade: “It was a lot of fun. After such a long break, it was great to get back out onto the pitch and to get to know the whole team and the VfB training ground a bit better – not the fans yet, unfortunately, but that’ll change very soon. It’s very important for everyone to get on, for the fabric of the team, so it’s crucial for me as a new player to integrate quickly.”

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It isn’t all new for you though – you came here to the ground as a youngster…

Woltemade: “When I was moving, I actually came across old photos of training that I’d taken with my camera, with Cacau and Mario Gomez there. I can still remember how I felt back then.”

How did you come to have this connection with VfB, coming from Bremen? 

Woltemade: “The connection comes from my family, as some of them live nearby. My father was and still is a big VfB fan, as is my grandad, so VfB was always a club that I followed closely, along with Werder Bremen. When we visited family down here, we always went to the stadium. That’s why it’s always been my dream to play for VfB. My father’s delighted that I’m here.”

You’ll soon be looking to rack up the goals for us in what promises to be an intense and very special season, featuring Champions League football. How are you preparing for that?

Woltemade: “Preparation began while I was still on holiday, doing a lot of individual running so that I’d be fit when I first got here. Now we have to get used to playing together. For me as a forward, the best thing is always being involved in goals or actually scoring them myself.”

The first pre-season friendly is this Sunday against Hollenbach, and fans will be there.

Woltemade: “I like matches like this, because it’s all closer and more compact. I’m looking forward to seeing the fans and putting on the jersey for the first time – it’ll be a special moment for me.”