Joshua Sargent has managed to draw attention to himself during this summer’s pre-season. The forward is in peak physical condition and was able to impress in both training and in friendly fixtures. Talking to WERDER.DE, the Green-White talks about Florian Kohfeldt’s influence, the internal competition up front and leaving his homeland.
… pre-season: “So far it’s been great. I feel that I’m in top condition, so I can’t wait until the season gets underway.”
… his personal goals this season: “I would love to get more gametime and score more goals. It sounds boring, but it’s true. If I can do that and get closer to the team and combine better with the other players, that would be an almost perfect situation for me.”
… conversations with Florian Kohfeldt: “When he comes up to me during training, he’s always trying to help me. He speaks to me about tactics and how I’m feeling on the pitch, about the different formations which we use. At the start, it was all a bit too much for me to take in. Now, after a year, I’ve definitely got used to it. However, this pre-season is super hard for my body. The most difficult thing this summer is always being active and not being allowed to take a second’s rest on the pitch. Because the coach wants to have everything as close to perfect as possible. Florian is definitely hard on us, but in a good way. It makes us as ready as we can be for the new season.”
… his current situation: “You can never be certain. You go to training every day, give your all and try to be recognised for your efforts. Every day is a battle between us forwards. All the forwards are so talented and we all want the same job.”
… the competition within the squad: “It’s always good for younger and older players to have competition within the squad like we do. Us young players have the better fitness levels and can run about a bit more than the more experienced players, but we have more to learn and have to be more clever, which is why we’re pushing ourselves every day to get even better.”
… missing out on the Gold Cup: “At the start, not being nominated was of course really frustrating. I didn’t know exactly what to make of it. At the end of the day, I think it was a good thing: I’m now hungrier and I want to prove to everyone what I’m capable of. Also I’ve been here since the start of pre-season and I’m getting better and better with more experience.”
… his goals in pre-season: “Yeah, goals are important in pre-season too. Every goal is a small boost in terms of self-confidence for a forward. Especially the goal against Köln was very nice and a good building block to work from. But I don’t want that goal to remain my highlight for the season (laughs).”
… his missed chances against Eibar: “It’s an intense training camp and perhaps I was just a bit tired (laughs). I think, however, that I played well in general. As a forward, you can’t just hang your head, you have to be ready for the next chance.”
… his goals for the coming season with Werder: “I said to a group of journalists that I would love to reach the Champions League. It’s good to get another chance to say that. I mean it’s best to go into a season setting yourself the highest possible goal to achieve. I think that’s a healthy mindset to have, that’s how I am – I always want the best possible. We will score as many points as we can and if, at the end of the season, that qualifies us for the Champions League, I’m sure no one will have any complaints.”
… his drive: “I’m a very competitive person. Whether it’s football, a game of table tennis or I’m playing a video game, I always want to be the best and I give my all to be that. I think Florian Kohfeldt, for example, thinks in a very similar way.”
… his position in the team: “I definitely feel happier and better this summer. I’m also noticing it in the way my teammates treat me both on and off the pitch. I’m not sure exactly what the coach his planned for me this season, but all I can do is train as hard as possible. I can only control what’s in my power.”
… leaving his homeland at a young age: “I left the USA to follow my dream. I never dreamt of searching out some kind of job in order to earn money. Of course I’m working here too, but it’s a good job (laughs). Sometimes it’s frustrating when we have the weekend off and all the other lads can fly off home and I have to stay in Bremen. I felt homesick at the start, but now I feel great in Bremen and at Werder. But I still want to see my family.”
