Putting the respect of a first call up to one side

Maximilian Eggestein returns from Germany duty
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Despite not playing in either match, Maxi Eggestein has gained useful experience (Photo: nordphoto).
First Team
Wednesday, 27.03.2019 / 13:42

As Maximilian Eggestein always does, the first kit is given to his parents. The Eggestein household now has a senior Germany kit in the cabinet. A first call up to the Die Mannschaft squad has been an exciting experience for the 22-year-old Werder midfielder, even if he didn’t make an appearance in either match during this international break. “It was about meeting and getting to know the people in the senior team, the coaching team and the style of play. It was also about putting the respect you have when you receive your first call up to one side and focus on the football,” reported Eggestein.

Just like 2014 World Cup champions Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos, Eggestein participated in Germany’s preparations for their friendly against Serbia and the opening European qualifier against the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the Werder midfielder didn’t feature in either match. “You come into contact most importantly between training sessions and during meals. You can certainly learn a lot from someone who has won four Champions League titles,” said Eggestein regarding interactions with Real Madrid star Kroos.

 

Focus fully on the return to Bundesliga action: Maximilian Eggestein (Photo: nordphoto).

Eggestein also held an individual meeting with Die Mannschaft head coach Joachim Löw during his first days with the squad. Planning for this summer was the main focus of this meeting. Eggestein is set to have the opportunity to either participate with the Germany U21s at the European Championships or play for Die Mannschaft in their EURO 2020 qualifiers. “I said to him (Löw) that a tournament such as the U21s European Championships would help me. There already is an inclination for me to play in Italy, as U21s head coach Stefan Kuntz has previously stated in public, but there is no fixed decision yet,” explained Eggestein.

With regard to the upcoming U21s European Championship and missing out on a debut appearance during this international break, Eggestein doesn’t believe that he has become a permanent part of Joachim Löw’s squad just yet. “I still haven’t made my senior Germany debut yet and what happens after this summer will depend on my performances and the situation regarding individual players. Consequently, I don’t want to say that I am now a part of the Die Mannschaft team.”

Eggestein returned to Bremen on Monday and he has participated in three sessions since arriving back with the Werder squad. Despite being influenced from various directions and in the centre of unmistakable attention, the midfielder is fully focused on Werder’s return to Bundesliga action. “We know about the huge opportunity we have at home against Mainz on Saturday,” said Eggestein. While Wolfsburg face title chasing Borussia Dortmund this weekend, fellow European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen and TSG Hoffenheim face each other. This gives the Green-Whites the chance to secure ‘big points’ in the race for European football against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday (15:30 CET) according to a confident Maxi Eggestein. “We want to do better than we did in the previous fixture this season!”

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