“All the hard work was worth it to have that one moment”

Patrice Čović was able to make a childhood dream come true last weekend, as the 18-year-old scored his maiden Bundesliga goal in the 4-1 win at Union Berlin. In doing so, he became the third-youngest player to score a goal for the Green-Whites. In an interview with WERDER.DE, Čović discusses the goal, staying patient and his connection to his teammates. 

WERDER.DE: What else have your family had to say over the last days? 

Patrice Čović: We’ve obviously spoken a lot about the goal. At first, my brother thought that I’d scuffed my shot, but I quickly shut him down. I told them how I felt after scoring and they told me what it looked like from their viewpoint. It’s just really nice to be able to talk to them about it. 

WERDER.DE: Both of the last two goals that you’ve scored have been special: the one in the U19 DFB-Pokal final and then the one last weekend. Which one is most special for you? 

Patrice Čović: That’s really difficult to say. My family were there for both games, so that can’t be the deciding factor. I think the one last weekend – my first Bundesliga goal. That’s something that I’ve dreamed of and worked for ever since I started playing football. All that hard work was worth it to have that one moment. There was also a bigger crowd there for the Union game, and more Werder fans as well. Just like in the cup final, I was able to score in front of our fans again. So it’s difficult to choose between the two. 

WERDER.DE: One thing we still have to clear up from last weekend: did Leo Bittencourt mean to pass the ball to you, or was he trying to shoot?

Patrice Čović: You’d have to ask him! We spoke about it and he obviously says that he wanted to pass. I believe him, because the ball came right to me, even though some people might say that he actually meant to shoot. 

WERDER.DE: You celebrated together with Leo after the game. What exactly did you do and how did that come about? 

Patrice Čović: We spoke about it during the game against Heidenheim last week. We were both on the bench and he said to me that it was about time that I score a goal in a stadium like that. I replied that, if I come off the bench, then I’ll score. He then showed me how we should celebrate. I wasn’t able to make it happen against Heidenheim, but then it happened this weekend, so we just did the celebration then. 

WERDER.DE: Leo is one of the older players in the squad. How did the friendship between you two come about? 

Patrice Čović: Leo was one of the first to come up to me and help me when I first moved up to the first team. That helped me settle in right away and allowed me to focus on my performances. That’s why I owe Leo a lot. There’s a lot I’m able to learn from him in training. We have a great connection to each other. 

WERDER.DE: Aside from Leo, who was very happy for you, Mio also sprinted across the entire pitch after you scored. Does that show just how close the younger players in the team are? 

Patrice Čović: 100%. It meant so much more to me after I saw how happy my teammates were with me. It really gave me goosebumps. Mio came sprinting over from his goal, which made me very happy. Mio is one of my closest friends in the team, so it was a really nice moment. 

WERDER.DE: What’s the connection like between you and Karim? You both moved up to the first team from the U19s last summer and have taken different steps in your development. How is Karim able to help you with the experience that he’s already been able to earn in the Bundesliga? 

Patrice Čović: He’s got a little bit more experience than I do. I’m just happy to see the path he’s been able to take, from the U19s to the Bundesliga. We always talk to each other and sometimes give each other tips. 

I’m not the most patient person and I really want to play. 

WERDER.DE: How does the coach interact with the younger players? How does he talk to you about things like playing time, opportunities for improvement and earning your shot? With Mats Heitmann and Salim Musah having also joined the squad, it does show that there’s space within the first-team for younger players. 

Patrice Čović: Every young player feels supported by him. He tries to find opportunities to speak with us, give us advice and to show us what his plan is for us. We feel like we can be fully open and honest with him and that we can speak with him at any time. That’s why everyone feels good here. It’s also fun that there are so many young players in our squad. 

WERDER.DE: Daniel shared that you’d spoken to each other, and then you were able to get some minutes playing for the U23s. How important is it for you to get game time?

Patrice Čović: It’s extremely important for me. As a young player, I’m itching to play. I want to play in every game and, if possible, be in the starting line-up. If there’s a game where I don’t play, then I’m obviously disappointed. But, I just try to keep working hard. Being able to play 90 minutes for the U23s helped me. 

WERDER.DE: You’ve been in the first-team squad for every competitive game so far this season, but have only featured in 12 of them. As a young player, how do you remain patient and wait for your chance to arise? 

Patrice Čović: It’s difficult. I’m not the most patient person and I really want to play. But, there’s others around who’s job it is to help me stay patient, such as the coach, who reassures me, but also my family, who say to me, “You still have time, you’re still young.” The people around me help a lot in that regard.

WERDER.DE: Thank you for your time!