Interview
"The promotion specialist is back!" – Interview with Tom Rothe
It is very late in the evening in the Japanese metropolis of Osaka. Borussia's talented youngster Tom Rothe takes a seat on a couch in the team hotel, the countless lights of the city glimmering behind him. Despite the late time of day and the intensive training session beforehand, Tom is in a good mood and seems to be looking forward to our little interview. And for good reason: having impressed with four goals and ten assists last season – let's not forget, it was his first full season as a professional footballer – the full-back now wants to impress in Black & Yellow.
Once again, a warm welcome back Tom! You've been back for two weeks now: how does it feel to be back with your old teammates?
Rothe: Thank you! It's great to be back here now! In that one year, I missed the lads and the staff, so it was great to be back. And after the long summer break, I really can't wait to finally start playing football again.
What was the communication like with the people at Dortmund during your loan spell? Were you regularly in contact?
Yes, of course! I spoke a lot with Otto Addo in particular, who has always been an important point of contact for us young players. He messaged me often or attended my games, and we would also meet up before the match, for example, when we played Schalke. Edin always called me during the international breaks and asked me how things were going and how I was feeling. So there was a regular dialogue.
Which of the guys were you looking forward to seeing the most? And what were the reactions of your teammates when you saw each other again?
I was looking forward to seeing everyone I knew from before! Of course, especially seeing guys like Jamie, who I've played with in the U19s for a long time. Niki Süle came up and greeted me by saying "The promotion specialist is back!". That also gives you a good feeling, if even experienced players like him appreciate it and acknowledge that it went well for me personally.
"It went well"? That's an understatement! No defender in the Zweitliga last season was involved in as many goals as you – and we're talking about your very first full season as a professional!
Of course, I am delighted to see the stats on paper. At first, my focus was only on getting playing time under my belt and experience in professional football. I noticed how much it is gives you, being out on the pitch consistently. In total, I played 33 games, I think. Then the team's success in Kiel also helped make the season even better! I thought I would come to Kiel, play a solid season and find my feet at this level. To crown what was for me personally not a bad year with promotion was almost too good to be true.
Still, were there things in your game that you had to adapt at first because the jump from youth to professional football is still a pretty big one?
I had already played a few games in the 3. Liga with our U23s, which definitely helped me too. You just have to think much faster, and the level of physicality in duels is also completely different. I underestimated that at first – the switch is actually huge. In Kiel, I might have needed one or two games, but then I found my rhythm.
Still incredibly fast. Did your physique help you, especially in your position? There aren't many 1.93 metre (6'4") full-backs.
Yes, that was certainly a factor. In Kiel, we often played with a back-five, and I then played as the left wing-back. That suited me – I was able to get involved going forward very often. Of course, it helps if you have a good starting point to assert yourself in a duel against slightly smaller opponents in the full-back position. But I also learned a lot defensively. I have often found it difficult to be solid at the back, to be able to stand my ground in one-on-one duels and to get dirty at times. As far as that is concerned, the season in the second division helped me a great deal – and yet there is still a lot of room for improvement in some areas.
During your time in Kiel, you said that you definitely want to come back to Dortmund and give it your all. Is your big breakthrough coming now?
I'm not thinking that far ahead yet. I know that Dortmund are a different beast than Kiel. But that was exactly the point of the loan: get a year of match practice and then attack again here. Now I want to give it my all in pre-season and show the new head coach who I am and what I can do. That starts now and I'm looking forward to it! And then we see what will happen.
You mentioned the new coach. You have only just met Nuri. What is your impression of him so far?
Incredibly positive. The coach has a real eye for detail – he could get hot under the collar about any misplaced pass, but I think that's just right. He expects everyone to have the basics and standards down. He wants to develop our game so that we are dominant and can impose our style of play on the opponent. Nuri has a good plan and now it is up to us to put that into practice in the best possible way.
And what expectations does he have of you personally?
As a rule, he expects a great deal from each of us. He has not yet been particularly specific in the individual conversations with me, except to say that I should always get fully stuck in and show him what I can do. And then we will see where the journey goes.