Niklas Schmidt has experienced a number of highs and lows in his nine years as a Werder Bremen player. This season, he has finally broken through and is now a regular for the Green-Whites in the 2. Bundesliga. After extending his contract, Schmidt discusses his road from the Werder boarding school to the Werder first team.
When the then 14-year-old Niklas Schmidt arrived at the Werder boarding school from Rot-Weiß Erfurt in 2012, the midfielder’s talent was already clear for all to see. But talent isn’t all it takes to make it in football, a lesson Schmidt had to learn first-hand. “I have great footballing ability, I know that,” said the 23-year-old confidently in Monday’s media session. “But that alone isn’t enough. You don’t just have to develop as a footballer, but also as a person.”
His closest friends and family helped him a lot in that personal development. “They always gave me encouragement, even when I had put on a few too many pounds. I’m incredibly proud – having people like that by your side makes you the person that you are,” said Schmidt.
The coaches he worked with during his time in the Werder boarding school didn’t always get through to him: “There were a lot of things that I didn’t take on board that would have been good for me. I didn’t listen or take things seriously enough,” explained Schmidt, before expressing his gratitude to everyone who worked with him. “I have changed as I’ve grown older; I listen more and turn words into actions.”
An important change in his life was his diet. Schmidt had often been criticised about his weight as a youngster, sometimes publicly. During his loan spell in Osnabrück, he stopped eating meat, while he now even follows a vegan diet, something that Schmidt noticeably feels the physical benefits of: “It plays a huge role. I’m at the top of my game, not least because of my vegan diet. I can make more runs, cover more ground, and I feel fitter than ever before.”
The young attacking midfielder’s journey is far from over though. “I’m very excited and just want to get the best out of myself. I’m really happy here,” said Schmidt when asked about his newly-signed contract extension.
With the international break now upon us, Schmidt is keen to “take five” after a frantic period and hopes to work his way back into the starting line-up for the meeting with SV Darmstadt. Should he find himself on the bench again like against Heidenheim though, it won’t bother him too much: “The lads did a fantastic job, so I would understand it.”
Even though it’s sure to be a tough game, the meeting with the Lilies is another opportunity for Niklas Schmidt to show why he is one of the few that has made the step from youth football to the professional level.
