Drexler: "I would like to be a role model"

And suddenly the moment had arrived: Pellegrino Matarazzo called Tim Drexler over to him during the away match in Frankfurt, gave him some final instructions and – a matter of moments later – the central defender was a Bundesliga player. "The debut came as something of a surprise to me. I was only really able to reflect on what had happened over the summer. From my first appearance up to the final matchday of the season, it felt like a dream. It all happened so quickly that I didn't have much time to think about it."

Drexler has played for TSG since 2016. "For me, this is home. I've been making the same journey to training for half of my life. It was always my objective to make it at TSG. The older I got, the more often I said that I wanted to become a Bundesliga player right here. I've been here since U10 level and that of course makes it a special story. TSG are 'my' club."

The 19-year-old describes himself as a very religious person. "I pray in the dressing room before every game. I'm not going to hide it, my faith is part of me and part of my personality."

Also in the 100-page latest issue of SPIELFELD: Grischa Prömel speaks about Swabia in "Fact or fake", David Jurásek fields questions in "No comment" and "winner of everything" Max Moerstedt is profiled. In addition, there's an overview of the U17 submarine's journey through the Rhine-Neckar region.