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Jamie Gittens: "This is what I dreamt of as a child"
Good weather in winter is something Jamie Gittens is neither used to from his home country of England nor his adopted homeland Germany. "But I think the weather here is a bit worse than in Manchester," says the Borussia star in reference to the wind and rain of the past few days. Despite the downpour, the 20-year-old is full of smiles as he shows up for his interview with BVB-TV ahead of the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach (7 December, 18:30 CET, live on Sky). That may have something to do with his exploits last Saturday.
"When I scored, the atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying, everyone was happy," says the attacking player as he looks back on his goal to open the scoring against Bayern Munich at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Did he, at any point during his solo run half the length of the pitch in the 27th minute, consider passing the ball to either Marcel Sabitzer or Serhou Guirassy? "Honestly, I didn't see Sabi or Serhou," he says with a grin. The only thing the England youth international had his eyes on was Manuel Neuer and the Bayern goal. "I simply thought, I have to shoot." Shoot was what Gittens did - and very well too.
Although BVB conceded a late equaliser scored by Jamal Musiala to make the final score 1-1, the draw meant the Black & Yellows maintained their unbeaten record at home this season. And Jamie Gittens' goal won't be one the Dortmund faithful will forget anytime soon. As to whether the goal scored with his weaker left foot was the best he's scored for BVB so far? Gittens takes a moment to reflect and then nods his head. "Because of Bayern, because of the Klassiker, because of the run from the halfway line - I would say it's one of the best goals I've ever scored."
And Jamie Gittens has scored a few this season. Eight in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, not to mention four assists. In the last English week against Freiburg, Zagreb and Bayern it was three goals and one assist. Is this the most confident Jamie Gittens we've seen in the Black & Yellow shirt? "That may well be the case," he says, adding with a smile: "I'm becoming the player I would like to be in the future. I dreamt of this as a child, it makes me happy."
"He deserves it all"
It's also making BVB and the club's fans happy. "He's made a huge step. And what I'm also really happy about is his work without the ball. He's made huge progress in this regard," says Nuri Sahin, who has rewarded Gittens' strong performances with a place in the starting line-up in the last nine games. And the BVB coach isn't just happy with his forward's performances on the pitch: "He has his heart in the right place. He deserves it all."
There was also special praise for the London-born wideman after the Bayern game from teammate Niklas Süle. "I think he's now coming to realise the potential he has in him. I think he has qualities that offer us so much as a team. And I'm so happy for the boy, as he's a really down-to-earth guy, who works very hard and has a good mindset."
How does Gittens manage to keep his feet on the ground with all the noise surrounding him right now? "It's down to my teammates," he says, adding: "I stay humble thanks to them." The 20-year-old also regularly receives advice from his family and friends. One of them is former BVB teammate Jadon Sancho. He received a message from his compatriot following the goal against Bayern on Saturday. "He wrote to me to say: Keep it up. It's your time to show everyone what you can do." The Chelsea forward's words mean a lot to Gittens: "He is a top player and also a top friend."
Jamie Gittens will of course be hoping to maintain his rich vein of form from recent weeks into the new few game - he already has a plan for how to do so: "Remain confident, stay positive and don't overthink things," says the BVB man, before taking a moment to think and continuing: "Just enjoy the game. That's the reason I play football, it makes me happy."
Another thing that makes Gittens happy is the support from the BVB fans, who have been able to enjoy a more stable version of their team since the international break. "We needed a bit of time," says the winner of the U19 EURO in 2022. So much is understandable: "When you have a new coach, not everything will come together right away." But now things are going well, explains the youngster: "We are more of a unit now and are growing together as a team everyday."
That's what the Black & Yellows will be hoping to show against Gladbach if they're to emerge victorious in the Borussia clash as they did last season. In any case, they'll have a different Jamie Gittens on the pitch: "Back then I was more focused on what to do with the ball at my feet. Now the emphasis is more on my movement off the ball," says Gittens. "Now I'm working harder on my defensive play for the team. I've developed as a player, I've become more intelligent."
In the game last season against Gladbach at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Gittens scored in the 4-2 win and provided an assist for Niclas Füllkrug. The Black & Yellow pro grins as he remembers the game: "It was a cold day." But the cold weather in Germany can't wipe the smile off Gitten's face, now then or now. If he continues to perform as he has in recent weeks, he will be all smiles again on Saturday in Gladbach - despite the wind and rain.
Nina Bargel-Neuhaus
Click here to watch the full interview with Jamie Gittens on BVB-TV.