"Something special has already started here"

Interview with Niclas Füllkrug
Niclas Füllkrug will return to Werder next season (Photo: WERDER.DE).
interview
Thursday, 25.04.2019 / 17:23

Niclas Füllkrug is returning to SV Werder Bremen! The 26-year-old played for Bremen between 2006 and 2013, before going on to represent Greuther Fürth and 1. FC Nürnberg, and is currently plying his trade at Hannover 96. WERDER.DE spoke to the club’s first signing of the new season about his development, his relationship with head coach Florian Kohfeldt and his goals for the coming future.

WERDER.DE: We are very happy that you’re returning, how do you feel?

Niclas Füllkrug: I am so happy. Finally the right framework has presented itself, one where everything fits with playing at Werder. I’m over the moon to be returning here, and to play in the Weser-Stadion again soon.

WERDER.DE: What’s changed since you left?

Niclas Füllkrug: I must say that there have been some changes. The stadium is the same, but since I left, the club has done a lot both in the changing rooms and with regards to other infrastructure. Werder have always made positive improvements. The club is again being run and supported by the Werder family. There are a lot of people who work here who have a very close connection to Werder. I’m fitting in with them by returning here.

Niclas Füllkrug played his first Bundesliga game in Osterdeich (Photo: nordphoto).

WERDER.DE: And how have you yourself changed in the last six years?

Niclas Füllkrug: I’m still scoring goals (chuckles). As a person, I’ve grown more mature. I’m expecting a child in August and I’m looking forward to having a small family. I think I’ve matured.

WERDER.DE: How did your return all come about?

Niclas Füllkrug: Werder expressed their desire to re-sign me. At the time, there were two other clubs who also were very interested and I think that there would have been more, had I been fit for the end of the season. I told Werder that I needed to sleep on it for a couple of nights, because I would have to say no to the other clubs. But after that I was pretty certain pretty quickly that I wanted to return to Werder. The transfer went on, but I’m now happy that I’ll be here next season. I hope I’ll be back to full fitness by that point and I can help the team.

WERDER.DE: You’ve known the coach for years. I’m assuming that you’d already spoken to each other?

Niclas Füllkrug: Yes, that’s the most important thing. I must confess that Florian Kohfeldt was a big reason why I wanted to come here so badly. It’s mad that he was my U14s coach and we’re reuniting twelve years later in the Bundesliga. He’s been able to influence so much here at Werder and I hope that by working together he can make me a better player.

WERDER.DE: How many goals did you score for the U14s?

Niclas Füllkrug: I don’t know (laughs). I went up to the U15s after the first half of the season. But my contact with Flo was still very high throughout my entire time in Bremen. We always walked to the training centre together. He was a big reason why I got on well during my time in the boarding school.

Niclas Füllkrug first met Florian Kohfeldt playing for the Werder U14s (Photo: nordphoto).

WERDER.DE: What memories do you have of the boarding school?

Niclas Füllkrug: Flo was always a coach who could help his players reach the next level. Even in times where I had problems, he looked after me and sometimes came and had a chat with me. I was still basically a child there. It’s brilliant that you get such people working with young players. People like him make the club what it is. That’s why they have such a good reputation among other clubs, and that was the reason why I moved from Hannover to Werder as a kid.

WERDER.DE: You became a professional footballer here, and scored your first Bundesliga goal in the Weser-Stadion. How did you feel when you left Werder back then?

Niclas Füllkrug: There was fairly significant upheaval in the club. I was happy for a long time in Bremen. Thomas Schaaf and Klaus Allofs introduced me into the group well. I’m particularly thankful to Schaaf and how brilliantly he handled me. I think it’s a totally legitimate reason to leave when it’s not working out so well after such upheaval. I had to take a step backwards and play in the 2. Bundesliga, and I’m very happy that I was able to come out better for it.

WERDER.de: Was the move to Nürnberg the decisive step for your career?

Niclas Füllkrug: I grew up there, both on and off the pitch. My performances really improved during my second year. I scored a lot of goals, despite not playing that many minutes. Werder actually had the option to buy me back, but then I moved to Hannover instead. Who knows, perhaps it was just meant to be. Now I’m back here, which I find crazy.

WERDER.de: But you are mainly happy?

Niclas Füllkrug: Of course. It’s always sad to leave your hometown, especially when your whole family live there. I wish Hannover 96 all the best. Hannover will always remain my hometown, but I’m excited for the new surroundings at Werder – the coach, Frank Baumann and the team. I will do everything I can to fit in as quickly as I can. I think together we can achieve a lot.

Niclas Füllkrug spent seven years in the academy and the first team at Werder (Photo: WERDER.DE).

WERDER.de: Is Werder like a second home for you?

Niclas Füllkrug: Definitely. Since I left I’ve been back a few times – the last time was last year when I met up with students from my A-level days in Obervieland. I have so many memories of this city, especially when I used to travel through it on the train or the bus as a kid. I travelled to a lot of places as a youth player. Bremen has always been like a second home to me. I grew up in a boarding school here and had some great times.

WERDER.de: What are your goals at Werder?

Niclas Füllkrug: You have to be impressed by what the lads have done this season. It’s a great squad with some star performers. It’s fun to watch Werder’s games. I don’t just follow Werder because I used to play here, but because they play such good football. I’m happy for the fans as they have had a number of difficult years recently. I hope that I can settle into the team easily and help improve us. Werder are heading in the right direction. Perhaps we will manage to qualify for Europe next year.

WERDER.de: How surprised are you by Werder’s development?

Niclas Füllkrug: Werder’s DNA has always meant that people from the Werder family have led and shaped the club. It was then noticeable that this was no longer the case, but thankfully it is once again. You can see how important the club is to those involved right now and even more importantly, the players also have lots of quality too. The team has clearly improved and players are performing better for the current coach. I think something special can happen here and has already started to.

 
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