When referee Markus Schmidt got the game underway on Saturday evening in the VELTINS-Arena, Jean-Manuel Mbom celebrated his Bundesliga debut for SV Werder Bremen. “I can’t put it into words, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I never dreamt this would happen,” says the 20-year-old in interview with WERDER.TV. His special day was made all the better with a 3-1 victory over Schalke (match report).
“I came to Bremen aged 13 and always wanted to play for Werder. It’s unbelievable that that’s now happened,” says Mbom, who moved from JFV Göttingen, his hometown, to the Werder youth set-up in 2013. He’s still the youngest player to ever move into the Wilhelm-Scharnow-Internat, Werder’s boarding school at the stadium. “I can still remember telling his family that there would be a long, long way to go, but that we would work hard so that he could play for Werder in the Bundesliga someday,” says Frank Baumann, Werder’s sporting director.
Florian Kohfeldt remembers how ‘Manu’ could hardly believe that he was going to make his debut. “He knew at the start of the week that he was going to play. He was the first player I told. Then, when I spoke to him for the last time on Saturday, he said: ‘so it’s really happening? I’m playing?’ I don’t think he believed it.”
Jean-Manuel Mbom put in an assured performance in midfield nonetheless, which was recognised by the Werder bench’s applause when he was substituted off in the 90th minute. “He brought his dynamism onto the pitch that we wanted. He is incredibly physical. He kept it simple. I’m pleased for him,” says Kohfeldt. Hat-trick hero Niclas Füllkrug was also impressed by the midfielder’s performance. “Manu really deserved it. You could see that he was ready. I like playing alongside people who will chase every ball, never give up and go into every tackle. That helped us.”
The team also helped Jean-Manuel Mbom on the pitch. “I could sense that we were together as a team. We really put our all into the game. Everyone wanted to show a reaction and win. I think you could see and hear that on the pitch. It was a proper reaction after the first match.” After fulfilling his dream, Werder’s number 34 is now looking to the future. “It’s just one match. I’ll enjoy it, savour the moment and then get back to work so that I can keep giving it my all.”
