Selke: I’m not someone who promises goals before my games. I just want to work for the team and take my chances when they come.
DFB.de: Is the European Champion still far off in the distance for you, or are you already thinking about the fact that you’ll be competing in it come three months time?
Selke: I definitely feel that the European Championship is knocking on the door. Time will pass quickly between now and then, and we’re working with a total focus on our goal at the moment. We want to play for the title in Poland. That’s what we’re looking forward to, and that’s what we’re training for as best as we can. Preparation for that begins in Wiesbaden and in Stuttgart.
DFB.de: How much are you looking forward to the game in Stuttgart in particular?
Selke: It’ll be really special for me. Stuttgart is my hometown, and it’s where I also played my first international game for the DFB U16 team too.
DFB.de: Final question: You exchanged greetings with your best friend Niklas Süle on DFB-TV, who is currently with the first team squad. How is your new roommate Nadiem Amiri getting on in his place?
Selke: (laughs) I’m more familiar with Niklas of course, because we’ve known each other for so long and have been through so much together. But Nadiem is great, he’s done a great job of filling in for him.
[ms]
Age: 22. Position: Striker. Height: 1.92 metres. Goals for DFB Junior teams: 27 in 38 games. If anyone knows where the goal is, it’s Davie Selke. The forward is looking to improve his stats even further in the upcoming Germany U21 international games. The first match takes place in Wiesbaden against England on Friday night (20:00 CET), and following that the team will travel to Stuttgart to play against Portugal on Tuesday (18:00 CEST). Davie Selke speaks with editor Maximilian Schwartz in this DFB.de interview on his special relationship with DFB U21 manager Stefan Kuntz, the imminent international matches, and the U21 European Championships in Poland in the summer.
DFB.de: Davie Selke, what comes to mind when you think of the next games against England and Portugal?
Davie Selke: They’re always fantastic games against top teams, regardless of whether it’s between the junior teams, or the first teams. When I think of Portugal I can’t help but of course be reminded of the U19 EURO 2014 final, when we won the game narrowly and lifted the trophy. The awesome Olympics quarter-final last year (4-0 to Germany) also comes to mind.
DFB.de: And what about England?
Selke: I don’t remember a big game against them in which I had much of a hand in. Wembley or the 2010 World Cup comes to mind, when the National Team defeated the English in South Africa convincingly – that was the Round of 16, right?
DFB.de: Correct. Apart from that there was also a legendary game in the 1996 European Championship in England, which was decided on penalties. Do you know who scored the all-important equaliser for Germany in the first 90 minutes?
Selke: Well, when you put it like that, it had to have been Stefan Kuntz. I knew that of course (laughs).
DFB.de: Just like you, Stefan Kuntz was a striker in his playing days. Do you have a special relationship with your manager because of that?
Selke: I don’t receive any preferential treatment, the manager sees me like he sees any other player. But yes, the fact he was also a striker means that we do have a small connection. He just knows how I function as a striker and when to put his faith in me.
DFB.de: How exactly does a striker function?
Selke: You’re totally focused on scoring. There’s nothing better than scoring a goal. That’s what you work for, that’s what you hit the ball for, for the team. Just like that you change everything. Sometimes there are phases when you don’t score for a while, and so you have to work really hard to put an end to it.
DFB.de: How important is it for a striker to feel the confidence that his manager has in him?
Selke: That’s what’s most important for me. And during my time playing for the DFB, I’ve been fortunate that that’s always been the case, whether it’s been under Marcus Sorg, Horst Hrubesch, or now, under Stefan Kuntz. That means I can always play to the best of my ability. Like in my current situation, when I’m not receiving so much playing time for my club, this solace is very good for me and my game.
DFB.de: Is your sporadic role with RB Leipzig something that stays in the back of your mind?
Selke: Not at all when I’m here with the U21s. I simply want to stay in good shape and help the team overcome the important challenges before the European Championship. I can take this momentum with me back to Leipzig, and I give my all there too.
DFB.de: Speaking of giving your all: In nine games for the U21s you’ve scored seven goals so far, which is fantastic. How many goals are you going to score against England and Portugal?
Selke: I’m not someone who promises goals before my games. I just want to work for the team and take my chances when they come.
DFB.de: Is the European Champion still far off in the distance for you, or are you already thinking about the fact that you’ll be competing in it come three months time?
Selke: I definitely feel that the European Championship is knocking on the door. Time will pass quickly between now and then, and we’re working with a total focus on our goal at the moment. We want to play for the title in Poland. That’s what we’re looking forward to, and that’s what we’re training for as best as we can. Preparation for that begins in Wiesbaden and in Stuttgart.
DFB.de: How much are you looking forward to the game in Stuttgart in particular?
Selke: It’ll be really special for me. Stuttgart is my hometown, and it’s where I also played my first international game for the DFB U16 team too.
DFB.de: Final question: You exchanged greetings with your best friend Niklas Süle on DFB-TV, who is currently with the first team squad. How is your new roommate Nadiem Amiri getting on in his place?
Selke: (laughs) I’m more familiar with Niklas of course, because we’ve known each other for so long and have been through so much together. But Nadiem is great, he’s done a great job of filling in for him.