Interview
"Excited and grateful" – Carney Chukwuemeka interview
Carney, welcome to Dortmund. What are your first impressions?
"Everything is rather surreal. I'm just absorbing every moment. This is a huge club, who were in the Champions League final last season. I was grateful to be able to watch it, a few of my friends were on the pitch. But yes, it's a surreal feeling. I'm so happy to be here and I can barely wait to get started."
I guess some BVB fans might have problems with the pronunciation of your name. How do you pronounce it correctly?
"Chuk-Wuemeka."
BVB fans all over the world will google your name and find out that you were actually born in Austria. How is your German?
"Yes, I was born in Vienna - but I was only there for two years. So that wasn't long enough to learn German properly. But my father speaks fluent German. So I will try to learn as much as I can from him."
BVB player Jamie Gittens, who is also English, told us on BVB TV months ago that you are friends. Is that true?
"Yes, Jamie and I are very close, we also have the same circle of friends outside of football. I know Jamie from his time at Reading, when I was playing for Northampton. We played against each other when we were very young, that must have been in the U11s. And then we both transferred. Then we met again in the England U19s, won the U19 European Championship together and have been good friends ever since."
Jamie Gittens is now able to speak German well - what do you make of that?
"That's motivation for me, I would say. It spurs me on to start learning the language now."
It's going to be crazy to reunite with him here in the changing room, isn't it?
"Oh, it's going to be amazing, I can't wait."
For all the BVB fans who don't yet know exactly what it is you do: what do you bring to the pitch?
"I'm a player who likes to express himself on the pitch, I play without fear. I like to dribble, initiate moves, pass and shoot. I will always give my all for the badge. I'm honestly very grateful that I'm here. Fans can expect all of that from me. I will give my all in every game."
What qualities or memories do you associate with Borussia Dortmund?
"The Champions League final last season, of course. The way they got there. And of course there are also a number of English talents who have really flourished here: Jude [Bellingham, ed.], Jaden [Sancho, ed.], Jamie [Gittens, ed.]. This big club is able to make talents big. It's a big club in general, the stadium is huge, the fans are great. I was on the bench a few years ago when BVB played Chelsea in the Champions League. I still remember the volume of the yellow wall, it was a great atmosphere."
What makes you feel that the move to Dortmund is the right one for you?
"I would say it's a chance for me to show what I can do. I can't thank the club enough for the trust they've shown in me. That alone was an important reason for me to come here. But, as I said, it's also the array of talent that has developed here. That makes it the right move for me right now. I want to showcase my talent in Europe and I want to help us all, the club, to be successful."