DFB.de After making the move from FC Bayern to Berlin, you've scored one goal and notched three assists already this season. That's a decent record for a defender.
Weiser: A performance can't just be measured by goals and assists, but on the whole, things are going well for me at the moment, both on and off the pitch. I'm enjoying the faith that's been placed in me; I feel in top physical condition, and I'm trying to contribute the most I can. It's good fun.
DFB.de: You now have the chance to bring this self-confidence to the U21 national side.
Weiser: Yes, I'd like to bring something to this team. I'm very grateful to manager Horst Hrubesch for the chance he's given me, and I'd like to make the most of it. I'm very excited about the games against Azerbaijan and Austria.
DFB.de: What do you expect from both opponents?
Weiser: Azerbaijan will set themselves up very defensively again and try to create chances on the counter attack. We need to be wary of that and make the most of our own chances at the other end. Austria will have as much self-confidence as us. They've been flawless in their qualifiers so far. Hopefully that will change on Tuesday.
Mitchell Weiser was involved in the Germany U17 teams that competed at the 2011 European Championship in Serbia and the 2011 World Cup in Mexico. He showed immense promise all those years ago, and he has now made the jump up to the U21 national side, one step away from Die Mannschaft. He had a broad grin on his face as he got off the DFB team bus on Tuesday: "I'm very happy to be here," said the 21-year-old defender from Hertha BSC as he greeted his teammates and the backroom staff.
Horst Hrubesch's side are preparing themselves in Bad Gögging for their two upcoming European Championship qualifiers. They meet Azerbaijan on Friday at 18:00 CET at the sold-out Continental-Arena in Regensburg, before taking on Austria next Tuesday in Fürth in a top-of-the-table clash in Group 7. In an interview with DFB.de, Weiser discussed his return to the DFB team, his season so far and the upcoming international matches.
DFB.de: Mr Weiser, you've gone through pretty much every Germany youth team throughout the course of your career. What does it mean to you to be called up to the U21s?
Mitchell Weiser: It's always incredibly special to be called up to the national side, regardless of whether it's the U16s or the U20s. It's always an honour and a huge chance that I'd like to take. The U21 team is particularly special, not just because it's the pinnacle of the youth teams, but also because it's the final stop before every footballer's main goal: the senior national side.
DFB.de: What's been your main highlight in a Germany shirt so far?
Weiser: My year in the U17s comes to mind. The European Championship in Serbia was a fantastic experience for me, even if we lost in the final to Holland. We then travelled to Mexico for the World Cup – it's incredible to experience. Our best game was the third-place play-off against Brazil, in front of 80,000 spectators in the Estadio Azteca. We were 3-1 down but we turned the game around, winning 4-3 and going home with a bronze medal. I took an incredible amount from those tournaments and those experiences, and I'll never forget them.
DFB.de: It's been somewhat more sluggish since then: after making 23 appearances for the U17 national side, you've made 'just' four appearances for the subsequent youth sides.
Weiser: Players at youth level develop at different rates. Players who were out of the picture at U17 level can rise up very quickly, and vice versa. Everyone has to progress at their own speed. I'm very pleased with my own development; the move to Hertha was particularly good for me.
DFB.de After making the move from FC Bayern to Berlin, you've scored one goal and notched three assists already this season. That's a decent record for a defender.
Weiser: A performance can't just be measured by goals and assists, but on the whole, things are going well for me at the moment, both on and off the pitch. I'm enjoying the faith that's been placed in me; I feel in top physical condition, and I'm trying to contribute the most I can. It's good fun.
DFB.de: You now have the chance to bring this self-confidence to the U21 national side.
Weiser: Yes, I'd like to bring something to this team. I'm very grateful to manager Horst Hrubesch for the chance he's given me, and I'd like to make the most of it. I'm very excited about the games against Azerbaijan and Austria.
DFB.de: What do you expect from both opponents?
Weiser: Azerbaijan will set themselves up very defensively again and try to create chances on the counter attack. We need to be wary of that and make the most of our own chances at the other end. Austria will have as much self-confidence as us. They've been flawless in their qualifiers so far. Hopefully that will change on Tuesday.
