Missed season finals as an incentive
© Imago
FC St. Pauli can rely on James Sands (24) for at least one more season. The American will also be borrowed from the New York City FC for the upcoming Bundesliga season, as Hamburg’s Hamburgers announced on Tuesday. A whereabouts of the midfield player, who left a very good impression at the Kiezklub, but was then injured for a long time with an ankle injury. Sands had completed his rehab in Hamburg and not at Heimatklub NYCFC.
Sports director Andreas Bornemann let a message know that St. Pauli had even anchored a clause for extending in the rental deal with New York. Because of the injury, however, she could not apply, so that an individual agreement with the Americans was necessary. Coach Alexander Blessin explained that the player had “inserted himself excellently (…) He showed that he can contribute a lot to our stability with his tactical understanding, flexibility and skillful duel.
After changing January to the Hamburgers, Sands quickly developed into a regular and was able to play five games from the start after two substitutions before moving up a complicated ankle injury in mid-February. After the external newcomer Arkadiusz Pyrka (22), Sands is the second personnel that St. Pauli has confirmed for the coming season. With the exception of Simon Zoller (34), who ends his player career, departures are not yet known (for all the transfers of FC St. Pauli over the years).
Sands said: “A lot of what I hoped for when I moved to Hamburg was fulfilled. The arrival was made very easy for me both in human and footballing terms and I am very proud to have proven myself with the team in the Bundesliga. The fact that I missed a large part of the second half of the second is of course a drop of bitterness and at the same time an incentive, so that we can return as soon as possible so that we can confirm the place together.”