Sidney Sam was living in the fast lane, with a tally of seven goals and five assists from 13 Bundesliga matches – which put him third in the league’s top scorers’ list. But at the end of November, Sam sustained a torn muscle in the 1-0 win over Hertha BSC, bringing the first half of the season to a premature end for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.
Sam used the winter break to do two things. Firstly, he confirmed his move to FC Schalke 04 next summer. He also used his long, intensive rehabilitation sessions as a foundation for achieving his targets, both personally and with his club, in the second half of the season. He has since made his return, and even provided an assist in Leverkusen’s 1-0 win in Mönchengladbach on Friday.
On Wednesday (live on Sky from 19:00 CET), the 26-year-old will face his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Cup quarter-finals. "It would be great to end my fantastic time in Leverkusen with a title", said Sam to DFB.de reporter Sven Winterschladen in the Interview of the Week. With five international caps to his name so far, he is also keen to secure a place in this summer’s World Cup squad in Brazil. "If I work hard for my dream, it could come true."
DFB.de: Mr Sam, given your past, is the DFB Cup quarter-final a special match for you?
Sidney Sam: Definitely. It’s always unusual to play against your former clubs. I’ve already experienced that several times in the Bundesliga, but it’s something else to do it in the DFB Cup. Everything comes down to one game and trying to progress into the semi-final. I love these matches, and I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends again.
DFB.de: Like who?
Sam: The board, for example, but also people such as Kaiserslautern goalkeeping coach Gerry Ehrmann; we always got on well. Although we don’t call each other all the time, it’s always great to cross paths again.
DFB.de: Two matches stand between Bayer and the final in Berlin – not long to go now…
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Sidney Sam was living in the fast lane, with a tally of seven goals and five assists from 13 Bundesliga matches – which put him third in the league’s top scorers’ list. But at the end of November, Sam sustained a torn muscle in the 1-0 win over Hertha BSC, bringing the first half of the season to a premature end for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.
Sam used the winter break to do two things. Firstly, he confirmed his move to FC Schalke 04 next summer. He also used his long, intensive rehabilitation sessions as a foundation for achieving his targets, both personally and with his club, in the second half of the season. He has since made his return, and even provided an assist in Leverkusen’s 1-0 win in Mönchengladbach on Friday.
On Wednesday (live on Sky from 19:00 CET), the 26-year-old will face his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Cup quarter-finals. "It would be great to end my fantastic time in Leverkusen with a title", said Sam to DFB.de reporter Sven Winterschladen in the Interview of the Week. With five international caps to his name so far, he is also keen to secure a place in this summer’s World Cup squad in Brazil. "If I work hard for my dream, it could come true."
DFB.de: Mr Sam, given your past, is the DFB Cup quarter-final a special match for you?
Sidney Sam: Definitely. It’s always unusual to play against your former clubs. I’ve already experienced that several times in the Bundesliga, but it’s something else to do it in the DFB Cup. Everything comes down to one game and trying to progress into the semi-final. I love these matches, and I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends again.
DFB.de: Like who?
Sam: The board, for example, but also people such as Kaiserslautern goalkeeping coach Gerry Ehrmann; we always got on well. Although we don’t call each other all the time, it’s always great to cross paths again.
DFB.de: Two matches stand between Bayer and the final in Berlin – not long to go now…
Sam: …and that’s exactly why this match is so important for us. Old friendships don’t matter at times like that; we want to progress to the semi-finals. It’s good to be playing at home; that should play into our hands as we can rely on the support of our fans.
DFB.de: You left Kaiserslautern after helping them to promotion, and you could depart from Bayer by winning the DFB Cup.
Sam: Yes, that would be my dream before switching to Schalke. It would be great to end my fantastic time in Leverkusen with a title. Every footballer dreams of making it to Berlin at some point and being able to lift the cup in the air, and I’m no different – it would be incredible. But first we’ve got to overcome a challenge from Kaiserslautern. We won’t underestimate them; it’ll be a tough match.
DFB.de: What memories do you have of your time at Kaiserslautern?
Sam: Only good ones. That’s why I wish my former club all the best – except when they’re playing us, of course! It was a very important and decisive time for me, I matured while I was there, and finally made the transition from being a youth player to a fully-fledged professional. In the first year I had some difficulties settling in and adjusting; it wasn’t always very easy. But in the second season I made my breakthrough in the 2. Bundesliga and we topped off the season by gaining promotion.
DFB.de: Do you still follow what’s going on there. Do you think Kaiserslautern can win promotion again?
Sam: They can definitely do it for a second time. I follow their progress very closely, and I’m convinced they have the potential required to return to the Bundesliga. They’ve been back on the right track for a few weeks now.
DFB.de: You were plagued by injuries in Kaiserslautern and have had issues more recently in Leverkusen. How do you deal with these setbacks?
Sam: Of course, I find it very tough. When you suffer an injury, you’re always dejected at first, and you have a lot of time to think. But most of the time your mood picks up after a few days. I’d now like to remain injury-free for a long period. That’ll be important in helping me to achieve my goals. Generally, though, you come back stronger from each setback.
DFB.de: What are the goals you’re referring to? Taking part in this summer’s World Cup in Brazil?
Sam: First I’d like to win something with Bayer 04, but the World Cup would also be a dream, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve already shown what I can do for the national team to some extent, both in training and in the brief appearances I’ve made. Of course, I hope I can be there, but I’ve got to stay fit over the next few weeks and perform well. If I work hard for my dream, it could come true.
DFB.de: Can you remember where you followed the 2010 World Cup from?
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Sam: At home in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel, as a fan of the German national team. We watched the games on a giant screen in the city. What happened back then was so impressive. It was already my dream to play for Germany one day, and now I’ve done it. But that’s not enough for me, of course.
DFB.de: In May last year, you celebrated your debut for Germany’s senior team against Ecuador. How did that feel?
Sam: It was indescribable, and it didn’t go too badly, either. I helped to set up two goals. You think you’ve achieved quite a bit, but then something else comes along to top it all – that’s amazing. I can still remember a lot of details: like putting on the German shirt, or standing on the pitch and hearing the national anthem – that moment gave me goosebumps. You don’t forget something like that. I’m grateful to the national team coach for giving me the chance to start the game; I never thought that would happen. Basically, I notice that every period I spend with the national team gives me another boost.
DFB.de: Did you keep the shirt you wore on your debut?
Sam: Of course. I’m usually a big fan of shirt-swapping; I collect them and keep them. But I didn’t give away the shirt I wore on my international debut. That takes pride of place at home; I’m proud to have been able to play for my country.
DFB.de: Your father comes from Nigeria. Was it always clear that you wanted to play for Germany?
Sam: Definitely; it was my dream since I was a child. Of course, the Nigerian Football Association had high hopes and worked hard to try and get me to play for them, but it was never up for debate for me. I was born and grew up here, so I always wanted to play for Germany.
