"It was then I realised what it means to win the derby"

Axel, are you more important and valuable than Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus?

No. No. No. Let's be serious here. I'm definitely an important player, but I cannot compare myself with Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. The pair of them are from another planet.

Understood. But Belgium coach Roberto Martinez described your transfer to Borussia Dortmund as "the transfer of the season, worldwide," – even though Ronaldo moved in the same window. What went through your head when you heard that? 

What Martinez meant was that Dortmund paid approximately €20 million for me, he probably felt that wasn't much compared to the usual market prices. He certainly didn't mean to put me on the same level as Ronaldo or others in sporting terms.

You've now been at your new club for almost 10 months. Was Martinez right in thinking that you represented excellent value?

It's true that I wasn't very expensive compared with the sums that are paid nowadays. In that sense he was right. I believe that I'm worth more and that I've produced good performances in my first season in Dortmund.

Have your sporting expectations been fulfilled in those 10 months?

Yes. It's all happened more quickly and been better than expected. When you arrive at a new club, and when you move from China and a league that is not so demanding in sporting terms, you expect that your integration as a new player will take longer.

What difficulties did you have to adapt to? 

You must perform at a top level in every Bundesliga match. The evenness of the clubs and the high physical requirements do not allow any room for slacking. This intensity doesn't exist in Asia, not even in the Asian Champions League. I had to prepare myself for that. What helped me was that I played in the World Cup for Belgium before I started in Dortmund – and so I was physically ready to play for BVB at a high level every three or four days.

You know what it's like to become a champion from your time in Belgium and Russia. Do you predominantly define yourself as a player by the titles you win?

That's why I play football. I've already won a few trophies in my career – and I hope it works out for me in Dortmund too. 

Aside from your success in Liege, Lisbon and St. Petersburg, what else do you want to have on your CV by the time you retire?

I would like to play for another five or six years, depending on my physical condition. During this time, I'd like to win a few more trophies.

Will your first season in Dortmund be largely defined by whether you finish in first or second place?

I did not expect us to do any better than we have done so far. So with that in mind, second place wouldn't represent a disappointment for me. However, if we become champions, that'd be the icing on the cake. But whatever happens, I'll only take positives from my first season at BVB.

The team was nine points ahead of Bayern at one stage, and the gap was six points at the winter break. Did you expect the setbacks there have been since then?

Football is crazy. Sometimes you're happy if you're ahead; sometimes it's exactly the opposite. That's why we love football, that's the only way to explain these emotions. It goes without saying we've made mistakes, and of course there were matches that we should've won. But that's part of the development process a new team goes through.

So it's simply a case of a young team having its ups and downs?

I believe it's normal. When you're 18, 19 or 20 years old, it's a big step to consistently perform at a high level. These lads are learning new things every day, they can't possibly possess the treasure trove of experiences that a professional of 14 or 15 years has.

What was your best experience this season?

The home game against Bayern. And scoring my first Bundesliga goal, which came at home to Leipzig. 

You have a special goal celebration. Are you really copying the way the former France international Nicolas Anelka used to celebrate?

That's right. When I was young, my father and I always used to watch the matches of the French national team. Before a match between Liege and Anderlecht, a friend said to me: "If you score, you have to celebrate like Anelka." I've been doing it ever since. Anelka's hand gesture is supposed to mean: I'm flying.

What's been your saddest experience?

Definitely the 5-0 defeat in Munich. We've already suffered defeats before, but not in that manner. 

Why was there a lack of strength and spirit in that showdown in Munich?

Honestly, I don't know. I don't have any explanation for the way we performed there. If you want to compete with a top team like Bayern Munich, you need to be at your best in every respect. It doesn't work if you simply defend and wait for the opportunity to counter-attack. We need to learn from it, the days that followed were hard.

Because the criticism was so merciless? 

I don't read newspapers, I wouldn't understand everything anyway. But public perception is always one of two extremes: sometimes you're the best, other times you're the scapegoat. In contrast to the reverse fixture, we lacked personality on the pitch in Munich.

For the fans, a victory in Schalke was a season highlight. For you, the derby represented uncharted territory. Is there anything you can compare it with?

It's obviously on a much smaller scale, but the atmosphere is pretty crazy at the matches between Standard Liege and Anderlecht. The two teams don't like each other much – a bit like the situation between Dortmund and Schalke. 

Does it feel different and nicer to beat Schalke? 

The moment when I realised how important it is to win the derby came when we returned to Dortmund on 8 December. We had beaten Schalke 2-1 away from home and the fans were awaiting us at the training ground, they wouldn't stop singing and celebrating. We stepped out of the bus – and into the commotion. That was the moment when I knew what a derby win means to everyone. 

What meaning does the derby have for you personally? 

I can feel the special significance. I can hardly wait for the special atmosphere during the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park. The atmosphere was already extraordinary against Bayern Munich, but the match against Schalke is likely to complete overshadow that experience.

You were at Disneyland in March. Why did you ask Goofy for an autograph?

My daughter really wanted one. Normally it's the other way around (laughs), and fans are asking me to sign a shirt or a photograph. I was at Disneyland with Anthony Modeste of Cologne and his family. We had a bit of a wait, but then my daughter got her autograph.

Disneyland describes itself as the most magical place on earth. Does that apply to your life as a professional footballer? 

(Pauses to think) I would say so, yes. I love doing what I do. I'm living my dream. That applies more now in Dortmund than it ever has, because I'm playing at a top level.

Do you still have dreams – as a player, as a person? 

Of course. I dream of becoming a European champion and a World Cup winner with Belgium. I still think I'll be good to play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And of course, as I've already said, I'd like to win a few trophies with Dortmund.

What would you have done if it hadn't worked out in professional football?

Before I turned my full attention to football, I wanted to become an architect. My father was a building contractor. When I was just three years old, I built my first little wall. But my father then advised me against following in his footsteps. "Don't do it! The job is too hard for you."

You're from Liege, the closest major Belgian city to the German border. Do you have a special connection with Germany on account of this geographical proximity?

Not really. Only on my wife's side. Her uncle comes from Germany. That was my only connection to this country.

Given the physical proximity, have you at least seen a lot of Bundesliga football?

To be honest, no. Only when Bayern were playing against Dortmund. Or other meetings of that calibre. 

Your father Thierry drives the two hours from Liege to Dortmund for almost every home game. Did he pay you a visit in China or St. Petersburg as well?

He's been everywhere. At Benfica, in Russia, in China too. He was definitely in Russia five or six times and in China three times during my 18 months there. In Dortmund, he's only missed the home games against Wolfsburg and Mainz. But he did make it to Munich; the drive took him seven hours each way.

Is he a harsh critic? 

Not any more. We're both adults. It's no longer a father-son conversation. It used to be very difficult for me. But he was right, and he always wanted the best for me. When he was too harsh on me, my mother had to console me.

Your father says: "Axel doesn't do anything crazy, he never loses control." Is there really nothing that makes you lose your cool?

I really try to stay as calm as I can. I can't imagine what would change this attitude. There's a reason I'm nicknamed La Chaloupe (the Shallop). I'm as calm and relaxed on the pitch as those small rowing boats are on the water.

Is that because you're now 30 years old and so you naturally show more composure on the pitch?

I've always been La Chaloupe throughout my career. My mother never thought it was normal that I'm so relaxed. But that's how I am, both on and off the pitch.

You're a strategist, a playmaker, a passing king, an authority figure and a leader. Thomas Delaney wants to be an "aggressive leader". What are you – a "relaxed leader"?

When I have something to say to someone, I do it directly. I always try to be positive at the same time. Does that make me a "relaxed leader"? I don't know.

Does a leader sometimes need to shout? 

There are different ways to go about it. You can push and motivate your team-mates with words. And you can lead the way on the pitch through the manner in which you play. I can do both. If I believe it to be appropriate, then I take the floor − even before a match. But when I'm on the pitch, I prefer to show my leadership qualities through my football.

Does this Dortmund team need different types of leaders?

Yes, I think so. The captain can't do it all by himself. Nor should he have to. In our case, Marco Reus needs to have a few experienced people around him. People like Thomas Delaney, Lukasz Piszczek, Marcel Schmelzer, Mario Götze or me. 

Does captain Reus think it's good if you speak with the players or give a speech in front of the team?

That's no problem for him. Why should he have a problem with it? He's not like that.

Dan-Axel Zagadou calls you "Tonton", uncle. What advice does the uncle give his younger team-mates?

I'm there for these lads if they're experiencing a low. If they need cheering up or advice. When I was 19 or 20 years old, I wasn't playing for a club as big or important as Dan or Jadon are nowadays. I say to them: It's crazy what you've already achieved. And I advise them to continue to remain focused and to work hard. Anyone who makes it in Dortmund can subsequently go wherever he wants. When he wants.

Do you speak with Zagadou & Co following an unsuccessful match like the one in Munich?

He's young, but he has a strong character. Dan isn't the kind of guy who spends a week dwelling on a mistake or a poor performance. Dan is only 19, he doesn't have the experience yet. Helping him and the other players, even when it comes to settling into a new culture, is one of the responsibilities for leading players like me.

One newspaper has compared you to Matthias Sammer, another with Sergio Busquets of Barcelona, Toni Kroos of Real Madrid or N’Golo Kanté of Chelsea? Who do you bear the closest resemblance to? 

N’Golo Kanté? I don't think so. He is very strong physically, but I believe that I'm better technically. Kroos? Busquets? I'm probably more a Busquets. He's a playmaker and often scores the first goal for Barcelona in important games. I'd like to do that too. I'm not trying to claim that I'm at his level, but if I had to decide for one or the other, then it'd be him.

You play more or less constantly. What's the secret to your fitness? 

I don't have one. I take care of my body, after training too, and I've been lucky because I've rarely been injured in the past few years.

Have you ever asked Lucien Favre to be rested now and again?

We've often been unlucky with injuries, so it wouldn't be all that easy for the coach to take me out and give me a rest. Plus, there are no easy opponents in the Bundesliga. Every opponent demands your respect and you have to choose the best-possible line-up.

You've already got 40 appearances under your belt this season. Aren't you tired?

Of course, I do get tired here and there. I'm happy to play – for BVB and for my country. Furthermore, I sleep well. My daughters are now a little bigger and so that allows for it. 

As a new father, Marco Reus would probably be happy to switch places with you.

(Laughs) It's definitely not easy for him right now. Marco is currently experiencing the new world of fatherhood. The first few months are not easy. You don't get enough sleep and need to train. But becoming a father is the best thing in the world that can happen to you.

Interview: Thomas Hennecke