Harry Kane is role model for me: Mathys Tel

Published at :November 4, 2023 at 12:45 AM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:56 AM

Mathys Tel joined Bayern Munich from Rennes in 2021

Bayern Munich youngster Mathys Tel gave an exclusive interview. He got into the first team last season and is getting regular playing times in the Bundesliga this season.

You have been scoring a lot of goals this season after coming on as a substitute. How do you explain your great efficiency?

“I would say it comes down to the energy that I bring to the team. At the moment, my role is coming into the game and doing as much as I can for my team. I’m pleased to have been able to contribute with goals and with assists. I’m very happy. I hope this continues.”

It’s been a good start to the season for you, hasn’t it?

“It’s been a good start to the season, but there is still a long way to go. I will continue to work hard so that I can remain on this path.”

You’ve almost scored as many goals this season as you did over the entire last season. How important was the last season in your development?

“It was a rewarding season for me because I learned a lot. Munich and the Bundesliga were both new to me. It was a year to adapt and an opportunity to show that I can perform at the level that is expected of me. Last year was a year to adapt and develop and now I believe that I am ready.”

What have been the greatest learnings so far this season?

“Last year I learned how the team plays and what is expected of me both mentally and physically. This helped me to prepare for the new season over the summer in many training sessions. These factors have contributed to me being in a place where I can show what I can do for the pitch.”

So far this season, you often came in from the bench for Kingsley Coman, Harry Kane or Leroy Sane. What is your favorite position of the field?

“I am somewhere between a number nine and a left winger. I can play on the right too, but I am more comfortable as a striker and on the left.”

Why do you prefer the left wing over the right wing?

“I am more comfortable on the left compared to the right. I am right footed so it’s harder for me to cut inside from the right.”

Your coach Thomas Tuchel is full of praise for your performances. How would you describe his way of coaching?

“He is very precise as a coach. He really pays close attention to the details, both in an attacking and a defensive sense. He is very precise when it comes to our runs on the pitch and how he wants us to play. This is a style of coaching that I really like because the details are extremely important. You can’t underestimate the details. He is an excellent coach and I have learned a lot from him.”

He lived and worked in France before. Do you two speak in French?

“Yes, sometimes we speak together in French. But he prefers to speak to me in German, so I can practice my German.”

What are your goals for the season?

‘The plan with the team is clear. We know what we need to do. We need to perform as well as we can. We have a lot of games to play. We need to be fully concentrated, both in matches and in training. We are winning a lot of games because each player knows what they need to do.”

What is the plan for you personally?

“My plan is to keep going in this way. I need to continue helping my team in every way I can. When players in the starting eleven get tired, it is my job to enter the pitch and bring in new energy. The plan for me is clear. I am also working hard to secure a place in the starting eleven.”

What are your strengths?

“My speed, my shooting and my dribbling.”

What do you still need to work on?

“I think I need to work on my spatial awareness. Looking ahead, scanning the area around me before receiving the ball to know where the free space is. Sometimes, I try to do things too quickly. Therefore, I want to improve my anticipation.”

Thomas Muller recalled Arjen Robben when describing your winning goal in the Champions League in Copenhagen. What do you think about that?

“It makes me happy to hear that. Everyone knows Arjen Robben. He was an outstanding player. It makes me happy that Thomas has compared me to him. But it also shows that I still have work to do. I am doing certain things well but there is a lot I can still work on.

Sometimes, I need to pass the ball earlier. Those are things I can work on to help my teammates.”

Do you know Arjen Robben?

“I watched him a lot when he was playing for the Netherlands and for Bayern. He would always cut in on his left and shoot.”

But you haven’t met him yet?

“I saw him last year, yes. He was at our training. I wasn’t expecting it when I arrived for training, and I saw him. It made me very happy.”

Harry Kane joined FC Bayern this season. What can you learn from him?

“He is a great striker. He has shown that throughout his career. I am a striker too, so he’s a role model for me. It’s important to have people to learn from regarding technique and finishing. Often, I don’t even have to ask him. He is a role model to me, and he is helping me a lot. He helps me a lot on the pitch and off the pitch. He often gives me advice on what I could do differently. He is paying very close attention to details, and he is looking to help me in any way he can. He is supporting me a great deal.”

What makes Harry Kane special?

“I would say his mentality. He has a very strong mentally. He’s very calm. That’s what I like most about him.”

The game against one of your biggest rivals in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund, is coming up soon. What does this game mean to you?

“I have been watching Bayern Munchen since I was little. And each time Borussia Dortmund face Bayern, it’s always special. I like the fixture a lot because it’s always very competitive and the players give their all. And the strongest team wins. I like this game a lot.”

How do you prepare for these important matches?

“I will prepare just like I do for any other game. I treat them all the same. It’s a different level of intensity but I treat it like any other game. I must be ready in every single game. My team will be ready too. We will do whatever is required to ensure we win the match.”

After the dramatic final matchday of last season, does Der Klassiker carry even more emotion and significance this year?

“Yes, a lot more emotion. We know it will not be easy. We have been able to answer every challenge we have faced so far. And our game plan is clear this time – we will do what we need to.”

It will also be more emotional for Dortmund, right?

“I am not part of that team. I hope they are ready because we certainly will be. We will do whatever it takes.”

The Bundesliga is known for its passionate fans. How does the atmosphere in the stadium influence your performance?

“It gives us a lot of energy and helps us a lot out on the pitch. The fans applaud us, they shout for us, they sing for us. It helps us a lot. Personally, when I have ball and I hear them shouting my name, it’s amazing. It helps me a lot.”

There is already a special connection between you and the FC Bayern fans, right?

“Yes, there’s a great connection. Because I enjoy celebrating with fans after the game and giving away my shirt. I know they deserve a reward for the support they give me. So, I am very happy to have this connection and I hope it continues.”

You always wear a bandage on your right hand. Why is that?

“When I was younger, I picked up a small injury at my hand. I started wearing a bandage and performed very well and decided to keep it. It brings me luck.”

When and where did you start playing football?

“I started at the age of five or six at Villiers-le-Bel. That was my first club and I joined them at the age of five or six. It’s the city I grew up in. It’s still a very special place for me. I often go back there to visit my friends and other people from the town. It does me a lot of good to go back and remind myself where I come from. I only have positive memories of my time there and I am very proud of that town. The club is excellent as well. I was able to really progress as a player there. I also developed this strong ambition to achieve as much as I can in my career. It’s really a great club. They deserve to be at the top.”

Who were your biggest role models on your way to professional football?

“Today, Ronalda and Messi are two idols of mine because of the careers they had. When I was younger, I was a fan of Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry. I watched highlight videos on YouTube and was very impressed with what they brought to the game.”

Thierry Henry is your coach at the U21 France national team. Have you ever told him that he was an idol of yours?

“No, I haven’t told him. He had an incredible career and has helped me a lot to develop. We all know what he has achieved. He has given me a lot of advice to improve my attacking game. I am very happy to be able to work with him.”

Didier Deschamps has already praised you. How does it feel to receive recognition from a football great like him?

“It makes me very happy. It makes me happy to hear that my performances are being noticed by the senior French national team. I need to remain patient and keep performing. I will earn my call up by performing well for FC Bayern. I will remain patient, and we’ll see what the future brings.”

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