It was a great honour to become German soccer ambassador together with Dettmar Cramer and Holger Obermann. It’s really hard to put it into words.

I am proud of my parents! We didn’t have much, but we always had that great bond. My Father had given me and my brothers, Denny and Rani, the chance to play soccer and develop our skills. Our local club, TV Oeffingen, as well as the VfB Stuttgart both do great work with young talents. When I look over my past in soccer, coming from the F-Youth of a small suburban club to the highest professional leagues, Champions League and national team, then this seems to be a time-lapse experience and sometimes really difficult to grasp. Especially in such moments where I am given such an honour, I feel a deep gratitude towards everybody who has supported me. And then when you consider you’re on the same level as Dettmar Cramer, a legendary coach and Holger Obermann, who has helped shape the sport on German television. Unbelievable!