ALBION’s new striker Deniz Undav has admitted he has been in comparison with Germany’s legendary striker Gerd Muller by earlier coaches.
Undav signed a deal to hitch Albion on switch deadline day and can hyperlink up together with his new staff in the summertime after finishing the present marketing campaign with Belgian aspect Union SG.
The 25-year-old is a goalscorer as he has scored 100 targets in solely 181 appearances in his profession to date.
In a current interview Belgian outlet 7sur7, Undav prompt that he’s a tough employee and in his youth profession was in comparison with the Bayern Munich legend.
He mentioned: “I’m an abnormal man, by no means one of many bling era. I don’t have costly tastes. I don’t put on costly designer garments and I don’t drive an enormous automobile. I do know all about what it means to work exhausting to earn a residing.
“Within the academy at Werder Bremen some coaches referred to as me Gerd Muller. I didn’t know who he was at first, however they mentioned I had an identical type…with a giant bottom.
“So I began watching some outdated movies, they usually had some extent. Taking part in with my again to aim and holding the ball up is my large power and if you’re robust you possibly can maintain off one or two defenders – you don’t need to be a large to play that target-man function.
“After they advised me at 14 that I didn’t have a future with them as a result of I used to be too small, it broke my coronary heart.
“However I didn’t abandon hope. I left the household dwelling at 17 to signal for Havelse within the semi-pro regional league, the fourth division in Germany.
“There I mixed enjoying and coaching with working full-time, eight-hour days working a laser machine in a manufacturing facility.
“I acquired up round 4am, went to the manufacturing facility, then I went to coaching and acquired again dwelling round 8pm earlier than doing all of it once more the subsequent day.
“I had to do this job for the cash to dwell as a result of I used to be solely incomes round £120 every week and I couldn’t survive on the cash from the soccer alone.”
Undav’s exhausting work in his early years has proved important to his profession as he has been capable of overcome current difficulties.
The striker has additionally admitted that he has studied world-class skills equivalent to Thierry Henry, Ronaldo and Andreas Iniesta to enhance his personal recreation.
He mentioned: “I at all times knew I had capability and qualities, however I wanted to work to enhance particularly on my weak factors. Once I arrived at Union, issues weren’t straightforward.
“We had been in Covid and my then girlfriend and now spouse Tanja needed to keep in Germany. I used to be in a lodge, as a result of I hadn’t managed to get an condominium.
“That made me very confused and sad, and I ate very badly, an excessive amount of fast-food.
“In order that summer season I labored very exhausting in pre-season to drop pounds and be lots fitter. And at present I’m content material and really fortunately married. That makes a giant distinction.
“Rising up I appeared as much as Thierry Henry, the Brazilian Ronaldo – not Cristiano. I used to review them for hours on the TV after which once I’d go exterior with buddies after doing my homework I pretended to be one of many two of them.
“I additionally used to like watching Andres Iniesta at Barcelona, only for how absurdly straightforward he made it look to regulate a recreation.”
Undav will not be involved about getting a global call-up for Germany however has prompt that it will be a dream of his to play for Die Mannschaft.
He mentioned: “Getting an opportunity for Germany doesn’t fear me an excessive amount of in the meanwhile. If I do get the telephone name I’ll be overjoyed as a result of it’s the dream of each footballer to play for his or her nation.
“If it doesn’t occur, I received’t cry. Germany have Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thomas Müller…though we don’t have any true aim scorers.”