Philipp Wollscheid: late developer done good

One of four uncapped players called up by head coach Joachim Löw for Germany's two-match tour of the U.S., Bayer Leverkusen's Philipp Wollscheid (24) is happy to experience what he feels is the crowning moment of a career that seemed to be going nowhere. Despite having helped Saarbrücken win promotion to the 4th tier of German football four years ago, he was shocked to see himself "demoted" to the reserve team. Wollscheid asked for a transfer and joined FC Nürnberg. After a stretch in the reserves, he became a first-team regular for the side from Frankonia, from where he was headhunted by Bayer 04 Leverkusen. His consistently stellar performances in the Bundesliga this past season earned him an entry in Joachim Löw's notebook.

Wollscheid talked to DFB.de writer Steffen Lüdeke about his first impressions about life in camp with Germany.

DFB.de: Phillip, you've been here two days now – still grappling with jet lag?

Philipp Wollscheid: Not any more, no, but what does pose a problem is the Miami climate! It's brutally hot in the sun, so during and after training, replenishing your liquids is a must.

DFB.de: What's it like being a newcomer to the German national team? Any pecking order problems?

Wollscheid: None at all, I'm relieved to say. But it's not like I'm a total stranger, either. After all, there's a sizeable Bayer Leverkusen contingent, and most of the others I've come across at one point or other in the Bundesliga. So acclimatisation is not an issue, everybody is made to feel welcome.

DFB.de: You scored a goal at yesterday's training match – do things like that matter? Does it even work wonders for an uncapped player's self-esteem?

Wollscheid: Scoring is always fun, and more so for a defender. And yes, scoring against a national team mate is a great feeling.

DFB.de: You're a very self-critical player who, when analysing his performance, tends to detect faults that others haven't even seen. How would you rate your training performance, then?

Wollscheid: Generally speaking, not bad. After three sessions, of which two were with the ball, I can say I fit in pretty well. It's exciting for me to see what the team routines are, how a typical day is structured, and how everything falls into place. I'm just soaking it all up, enjoying every moment.

DFB.de: Aged 24, you're not exactly young for a national team newcomer. On the other hand, you do seem to be something of a late developer …

Wollscheid: That's right, but the truth is that unlike other players, I simply wouldn't have been ready to join the squad as a 19 or 20-year-old. It took me quite a while to battle my way through the senior leagues to get to where I am now. But while I'm not 20 any more, I wouldn't say that 24 is so terribly old, is it? The question to ask is this: are players able to develop further? And in my case, the answer is Yes with a capital Y. That's why I'm here now.

DFB.de: How and when exactly did you hear of your call-up to the squad? Germany coach Löw didn't get through to you at first, did he?

Wollscheid: I must admit that there will be many other people who are much easier to get hold of. The thing is, usually I have my mobile set on 'soundless', so most of the time I don't even realise there's someone calling me. Hours later I checked my mailbox, saw this completely unknown number, and listened to the voicemail message.

DFB.de: Had you hoped your name would feature on Joachim Löw's list?

Wollscheid: I'm honest with you and say Yes. I mean everybody knew that a whole lot of regular players wouldn't be eligible on account of the Champions League final, so it was kind of logical that he would give new players a chance. That he actually did end up choosing me is absolutely awesome!

DFB.de: And your sense of joy is not spoilt by knowing that Germany's U.S. tour squad is heavily influenced by the final at Wembley?

Wollscheid: Not in the least. Of course I'm aware that with so many regulars missing, this is an unusual squad. But I'm also very happy to be given a huge chance. All of the new players here are called upon to get their names into the coach's notebook for the upcoming matches, and that's exactly what I'll set out to do.

DFB.de: All of Germany talks about the final at Wembley. But on Monday evening, there's another match you're interested in, aren't you?

Wollscheid: You mean the play-off match between Kaiserslautern and Hoffenheim?

DFB.de: Yes! After all, you're a Kaiserslautern supporter…

Wollscheid: Yes, but not really as devoted as in the past! Embarrassingly, I didn't even watch the first-leg play-off match. There's no question about me keeping my fingers crossed for Kaiserslautern, that's the region I come from, but they're not the be-all and end-all any more.

DFB.de: Is it true that sometimes you sleep in the shirt you wore when making your debut for Germany's Under-20 national team?

Wollscheid: Not quite, but that shirt has been given pride of place in my wardrobe. Playing for my country makes me very proud, I'll never forget the day I won that first junior cap. And with a little luck, I can win my first full cap next week!

DFB.de: Imagine you actually do get to play on Wednesday, and one of the Ecuador players wants to swap shirts after the game?

Wollscheid: I'll tell him I'm very sorry but I won't give that shirt away, not in a million years!