A turbulent year with numerous highlights lies behind the man from Bremen. In the interview, Niclas Füllkrug talks about his DFB plans, gratitude and his goals with Werder.
Mr. Füllkrug, last year you were promoted with Werder, became a national player and took part in the World Cup. Have the past twelve months been the most turbulent of your career?
It has to be said that the last twelve months have not only been turbulent, but almost entirely positive for me. In the 2nd league we had a strong back row, in which a flow and positive energy developed that made success almost a matter of course. Something like that is also reflected next to the square, which also makes our families very happy (laughs).
And after the icing on the cake with promotion, an incredibly beautiful and emotional day, we played a very successful first half of the season. Hardly anyone expected things to go so well for us. Of course, being rewarded with the national team at the end was a special event for me – even though we were eliminated much too early at the World Cup.
Is the best Niclas filling jug of all time currently on the pitch?
(considers) I hope he’s still coming. Of course, I can’t deny that things are going very well right now. I have a team that I benefit from a lot and thanks to them I can show myself to my best advantage. I enjoy these moments and a lot is working out right now, but that only makes me even more greedy to take further steps.
Do you have an explanation for their strong form?
When things go well, there is always a lot of work behind it. That’s exactly why I’m where I am right now. But for me that means going a little further. Questioning yourself when things are going well is the art – and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.
Shined at the World Cup in Qatar with two goals: Werder striker Niclas Füllkrug.
Does the success of the past few weeks give you even more self-confidence?
Confidence is something that develops out of the current phase. If I have a lot of good moments in training, I go into the game with a good feeling. Recently I have had many positive experiences that have boosted my self-confidence. And with the national team, I realized that it wasn’t a problem for me to keep up. Of course, that also gave me a good feeling.
What’s next for you in the DFB team? Do you have an eye on the EM 2024 in your own country?
For me, the national team was always the greatest. I’m proud and happy to have gained a foothold there. But I didn’t set myself any goals that far. I want to perform well week after week. After the games I want to be able to sit on the sofa at home and say: “Today I was able to help the team and we scored points.” That’s what excites me. Everything else will come naturally. But of course I want to remain part of the national team.
And what about the top scorer cannon? After all, they already have ten goals this season.
No, that doesn’t excite me. It triggers me more when I don’t create a chance in a game. I look at my performance and want to get the best out of it. That’s why the eleventh goal is the most important for me right now – and not the goals that could come after that.
Has your relationship with your Werder colleagues changed as a result of the great attention after participating in the World Cup?
No, I’ve noticed that I’ve become better known, but I’m very relaxed about it. And of course I do everything I can to make the boys feel that nothing has changed for me. That I’m just as grateful to be able to benefit from them and play for Werder. And I’ve already said that none of this would have been possible for me if we’d finished the first half of the season in 15th place. Because then I would never have come into my own. It is very, very important to me that this is never neglected.
Niclas Füllkrug and Werder are currently preparing for the Bundesliga in Murcia, Spain.
Her good performances have not gone unnoticed by other clubs either. Are you staying with Werder or are you already sitting on your packed suitcases?
I’m not sitting on packed suitcases, quite the opposite. But in football you can’t really answer a question like that. If only because it always involves a constellation in which several parties come together. And because there is currently no such constellation, I don’t like to talk about it. I’m just happy to be here and I believe that I still have a lot of opportunities to develop further at Werder.
Let’s take a look at the training camp: Your coach Ole Werner said that in Murcia it’s all about tactics, i.e. opening the game and crossing. Was that your idea?
(laughs) No, the coach is doing a great job, he doesn’t need me. But I agree with him: I do believe that we can get into the dangerous area more quickly at one point or another. We play with two strikers who are good at finishing, that’s one of our great strengths. This is a quality that we must continue to develop.
Where is Werder looking in the table in the new year? Up or down?
Nowhere. The last one or two years in particular have shown that we have done really well with humility and a down-to-earth attitude – and we will continue to do so. I also think that the fans can identify with it. They don’t want to hear from us what a big snout we have. In the end, every fan is happy when we play well at the weekend and not when we spit big tones. Not putting ourselves under pressure brings us much closer to our top performance. That is an important insight that we gained – also because things were different in Bremen.
The interview was conducted by Olaf Rathje. Recorded by Helge Hommers.
