"Johannes has tournament experience and had an outstanding season. He fully deserves his call-up because of the quality he has,” explained Guido Streichsbier when he raised eyebrows by selecting Werder Bremen’s Johannes Eggestein in his squad for the team’s training camp and European U19 Championship (11th – 24th July) on 15th June. It was a surprise selection because Eggestein belongs to the 1998 year group and is therefore a year younger than the rest of his team mates in the U19 side.
The Werder player is in good company. There are also another two players from the 1998 age group in the provisional 24 man squad for the European U19 Championship in the form of Gökhan Gül and Janni-Luca Serra. The squad will be trimmed to 18 players following the team’s training camp in Schladming (28th June – 5th July). Johannes Eggestein talked to Peter Scheffler in and interview for DFB.de and spoke about how he is settling into the team, what it means for him as a striker and his aims following the call-up.
DFB.de: Mr Eggestein, it is your first time with the U19 national team. What are your impressions after the first few days?
Johannes Eggestein: I am extremely happy to be here. My impression of the team so far has been totally positive. My club coach Mirko Votava told me during the season that Guido Streichsbier was keeping an eye on me. That gave me a additional motivation. To be here taking part in the training camp is awesome.
DFB.de: How was it settling in with your new team mates?
Eggestein: Very good. There are also another two players from the 1998 age group in Gökhan Gül and Janni Serra. The older players speak to us and explain how things work in the team. We feel happy and accepted both on and off the pitch.
DFB.de: What does it mean to make the jump up to the U19s as a younger player?
Eggestein: It makes me proud. It’s confirmation that I have been playing well for my team and the other Germany youth sides.
"Johannes has tournament experience and had an outstanding season. He fully deserves his call-up because of the quality he has,” explained Guido Streichsbier when he raised eyebrows by selecting Werder Bremen’s Johannes Eggestein in his squad for the team’s training camp and European U19 Championship (11th – 24th July) on 15th June. It was a surprise selection because Eggestein belongs to the 1998 year group and is therefore a year younger than the rest of his team mates in the U19 side.
The Werder player is in good company. There are also another two players from the 1998 age group in the provisional 24 man squad for the European U19 Championship in the form of Gökhan Gül and Janni-Luca Serra. The squad will be trimmed to 18 players following the team’s training camp in Schladming (28th June – 5th July). Johannes Eggestein talked to Peter Scheffler in and interview for DFB.de and spoke about how he is settling into the team, what it means for him as a striker and his aims following the call-up.
DFB.de: Mr Eggestein, it is your first time with the U19 national team. What are your impressions after the first few days?
Johannes Eggestein: I am extremely happy to be here. My impression of the team so far has been totally positive. My club coach Mirko Votava told me during the season that Guido Streichsbier was keeping an eye on me. That gave me a additional motivation. To be here taking part in the training camp is awesome.
DFB.de: How was it settling in with your new team mates?
Eggestein: Very good. There are also another two players from the 1998 age group in Gökhan Gül and Janni Serra. The older players speak to us and explain how things work in the team. We feel happy and accepted both on and off the pitch.
DFB.de: What does it mean to make the jump up to the U19s as a younger player?
Eggestein: It makes me proud. It’s confirmation that I have been playing well for my team and the other Germany youth sides.
DFB.de: Why do you believe that Guido Streichsbier has called you up?
Eggestein: I have definitely profited from some of the players born in 1997 getting injured but I think my performances throughout the entire season convinced him first and foremost.
DFB.de: You were the top goalscorer in the U19 Bundesliga this season with 33 goals in 26 appearances.
Eggestein: True, things went really well for me last season and also for the team. We were the North/North-east champions as well. I hope it continues like that.
DFB.de: Guido Streichsbier spoke about the tournament experience you would bring when he announced his squad.
Eggestein: He’s right. I played in the European U17 Championship in Bulgaria (runner-up) and the U17 World Cup in Chile (eliminated in the quarterfinals) last year. They were events and experiences that definitely helped me to develop further.
DFB.de: What is your aim for the coming days at the training camp?
Eggestein: I would like to show the U19s and the coach that I want to be at the tournament. Everyone else has that aim as well and you can see it during each training session. Everyone is giving everything with the aim of playing in a European Championship at home. Guido Streichsbier will have to make the final decision.
DFB.de: You recently signed a professional contract with Werder Bremen. What are your aims for the future there?
Eggestein: I want to train regularly with the first team in order to get used to the tempo and physicality. Obviously, I would love to get some game time as well but I will have to prove myself in the U23s first. I would like to keep improving bit by bit and establish myself as a successful Bundesliga striker for Werder sometime in the future.
DFB.de: Will taking part at the U19 EURO help your career? The payers who took part last year have pushed on from it.
Eggestein: Definitely. If you look at the players that were in the team last year, for example Leroy Sané and Jonathan Tah (both are in the current EURO 2016 squad), you see how quickly things can move on. It would be a real challenge to prove myself both physically and technically at the European U19 Championship. It would be a great experience and a good indication of what is to come.
