Interview: Great to be that close

Eighteen-year-old Niklas Dorsch plays for Bayern Munich's Amateur team. From next season on many things for the midfielder will change as his first contract as a football professional is about to start. In a recent Xinhua Interview, Dorsch is talking about how it feels to be close to the stars every day.

Xinhua: What does an 18-year-old footballer get up to on a Champions League evening? We assume you were partying?

Dorsch: If you call a thrilling match with about 70,000 others a party, yes.

Xinhua: So you were watching Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal first leg against Benfica. That sounds like a clever way of keeping you motivated for the next years?

Dorsch: We were seated just behind the bench, coach and players. I can tell you it's something special being so close. I don' t know if it's a club strategy to keep us motivated, but I can tell you it's motivating. It's great to be that close.

Xinhua: Talking about being close, you've trained a few times with the senior squad. At the moment you're a part of the under-23 team. How does that feel?

Dorsch: I was taken to the winter training camp in Qatar. And I train every now and again with the first team when needed.

Xinhua: Do you remember your first time? We remember your club boss CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge telling us that he nutmegged one of the stars in his first training session. Meaning he played the ball through the legs which in football is seen as being more than a little bit cheeky.

Dorsch: (laughing) I didn't do that, but believe me or not I did something I was embarrassed about later . . . .

Xinhua: . . . go on. . .

Dorsch: (laughing) . . . . nothing spectacular, but I kicked a team mate' s foot so hard that he was out injured for two weeks. It was on my mind for a while and I regret that it happened, but it happened.

Xinhua: Tell us about your daily life. As we suggested in our first question, when thinking about 18-year olds we think of friends, hobbies, parties, school or studying. What is your daily life like? As a young footballer hoping to turn professional, do you have to make many sacrifices?

Dorsch: I was 14 when I moved to a football academy. When at school you go to lessons until four in the afternoon, then you attend training, eat and go to bed. There's not much time for anything else. On the occasional free afternoons you had, you basically wanted to relax and enjoy the time off.

Xinhua: So you spend a lot of time with your teammates? What else is on the agenda besides football?

Dorsch: We have a special room for that, with a TV and some video games. So we watch other games together.

Xinhua: You're now 18-years-old, an age when a lot of decisions have to be made regarding your future at a club like Bayern Munich. Do you ever think you could possibly fail?

Dorsch: For sure it's something you have to think about but it's not something you have to worry about. You could be injured. Therefore you should have alternatives in your mind.

Xinhua: So what's plan B?

Dorsch: I was at school and had to make a decision - either concentrate on football for the next two or three years or finish school. I decided to concentrate on football as I'm still young and have every option to do something else. So I finished school at 16 and concentrated on football. I missed a lot in school due to so many games with the national team, so it was a better option to concentrate on football as we have training twice a day. Bayern Munich gave me a contract that helped me to decide. From next season, I have a contract as a professional. In football, decisions come fairly quickly whether you'll make it or not.

Xinhua: Is there a time frame, let's say between 16 and 19, when such a decision can be made?

Dorsch: You can't say exactly but what is important is that you're honest with yourself, meaning that you should know if you can make it realistically or not.

Xinhua: Looking back - the period from 14 to 18 is a long time. What expectations did you have when you joined Bayern?

Dorsch: To be honest I had none. For my family and me it was something new. We live in a very small town. My father's first question when we came here was: "How much do we have to pay for his accommodation and daily life?" Bayern answered with a broad smile and told us, it's for free. I just love football. I played from when I was a three-year-old kid. Everywhere I could.

Xinhua: So no expectations?

Dorsch: Of course every youngster dreams of becoming a professional player, but in advance of my first training I had other thoughts in my mind like, how will I perform - you generally feel far away from professional football.

Xinhua: How big was the difference from a small town club to one like Bayern? You get your football boots cleaned and so on.

Dorsch: Before I joined Bayern, I played for 1. FC Nuremberg - so the difference was not that big. It was a step in between. But there is still a difference, Bayern Munich is one of the biggest clubs you can think of. In my hometown, I played for a club in the lowest league.

Xinhua: How did you make Bayern Munich want you?

Dorsch: We played several games for Nuremberg against Bayern. I played in Nuremberg from when I was 11 to 14. I was thinking about quitting because it was a long way from my hometown to Nuremberg. So one day Bayern found out and offered me a place in their academy. I went to take a look with my parents and I can tell you it was a no-brainer. When I was 11, Jan Pienta, who discovered Thomas Mueller and works as a scout for Bayern Munich, told me to stick to football because he saw some talent in me.

Xinhua: And how was school?

Dorsch: I went to a school that collaborates with Bayern.

Xinhua: What is your plan if football doesn't work?

Dorsch: It will be connected with sports and educating youngsters - maybe a teacher. I've had some work experience weeks and liked it.

Xinhua: So tell us about your impressions about training with world class footballers. Were you in awe?

Dorsch: You should not think like that, you have to have respect of course, but not awe. These guys are world champions. On the other hand if you just attend training, you won' t make it. You have to get your head free and put on a good display.

Xinhua: How do the world class stars react when a young aspiring footballer comes along?

Dorsch: It's different. Most react in a great way and help you. They talk to you and ask how things are and how you feel. It was like that for me when we went to the winter training camp. I think today professional footballers are more open.

Xinhua: What did you notice most of all in training?

Dorsch: Firstly the incredible speed at which they play. You have nowhere near the amount of time to make decisions as you do in the second team. You have to keep on your toes all the time. But in my experience it's something you get used to, after all I did.

Xinhua: Is there a player that impresses you most?

Dorsch: My hero is Arjen Robben. From when he enters the club headquarters until he leaves, he is always over 100 per cent in every second. Even when we are eating. (Smiling). As for my position in midfield I watch guys like Alonso or Vidal.

Xinhua: Some say it's a problem for youngsters to make it at a club like Bayern Munich as there are so many world class players. That could be an argument not to join a club like Bayern but rather start at a smaller club?

Dorsch: I see more advantages because of the daily training with all those world class stars, you learn a lot from them. And in the end, I think if you don't make it here, then coming from Bayern Munich you will get offers from other clubs. I'm somebody who likes challenges, you could say I need that. If I know I have to, I can. I like that. I like to be a bit cheeky when I train with the professionals.

Xinhua: Pep Guardiola is known to support young players. In your experience how is Pep Guardiola with young players?

Dorsch: He treats everybody the same no matter who you are. If he has the impression he can help you become better, he will. He takes time to talk to you for half an hour after training. That is something that impressed me a lot. You learn so much from him. Often I think, wow, how can a human being know that much about tactics and have such great ideas.

Xinhua: How did you find out you would be going to the training camp?

Dorsch: It was Hermann Gerland who is a kind of link between the second team coach Heiko Vogel and the senior team. Those two talk a lot. But I was in senior training before.

Xinhua: Is there a deadline by which you want to be constantly part of the professionals?

Dorsch: My contract as a professional starts next season and I will try to be part of the first team squad as often as possible. I know you have to be patient looking at the many experienced professionals who don't make it into the match day squad every week. For now I have to try to get back in full fitness after my injury.

Xinhua: What happened?

Dorsch: A year ago I suffered a broken leg. It happened in a game for the national team. I had several plates in my leg. Right now I'm starting with rehab.

Xinhua: A hard time?

Dorsch: I went to stay with my family at home for a while, but it was a hard time, especially after being back at the club and not being able to do a lot.

Xinhua: Let's get back to something positive. Let us talk about your relationship with the first team players or stars.

Dorsch: You meet them everywhere around the club grounds. Once I passed a first team practice session and Thomas Mueller shouted loud and everybody could hear, "Hey Dorschi, hi and how are you doing?" He is a great guy, and great fun and always in a good mood.

Xinhua: You mentioned how important it is to judge yourself . . .

Dorsch: . . . that is the most important thing. To overestimate yourself does not help. But in general it is important to know that talent is not everything. In the first place it is hard work that helps you to make it. Your day is full of football. So my day is filled with football and that's what I always wanted.

Xinhua: What do you hear from teammates in the national team or other young players as to their progress in their clubs?

Dorsch: One of my best friends, Felix Paßlack, plays for Borussia Dortmund and he tells me how great it is to play in the Bundesliga. He's played three times already. Hearing that keeps me going. Endit