Kerem Demirbay: "I want to prove myself"

Hello, Kerem. From the metropolis to the Kraichgau – can you tell us the reasons for your move?

Kerem Demirbay: I had a very good initial conversation with Julian Nagelsmann. After that, I was very quickly clear that I wanted to come to TSG. It has taken a little bit of time for the transfer to go through, but now I am happy to be here and be able to take part in most of pre-season.

Most recently, you had a very good season with Düsseldorf in the second division. How big do you think the step up into the Bundesliga will be?

Demirbay: The style of play will be different. It is a lot quicker and small things can make the difference at this level. I have a lot of respect for this leap but I am not scared. I definitely want to play in the Bundesliga and I think that I can build on my good previous season.

Pre-season is an intensive time. You have missed the first week with TSG. Is that a problem for you?

Demirbay: I am fit, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I played a full part in training last week with HSV. I want to arrive and integrate into the team as quickly as possible.

What are your targets for the coming weeks?

Demirbay: I want to stay healthy through pre-season, prove myself, play well, and show that I can help the team.

Do you already know any of the players from the TSG squad?

Demirbay: I played with Jeremy Toljan at the U21s European Championship last summer in the Czech Republic – so I already know him. I know the other players only by name, but that will change very quickly.

Which players are your role models on the pitch?

Demirbay: there is no one role model, but I think Cristiano Ronaldo is very nice. He is different to how he is portrayed and perceived, and this was shown in the EUROs final.