Was he burned out? Ex-BVB talent says everything happened too fast | OneFootball

After his outstanding debut, Kjell Wätjen was celebrated in Dortmund as Nuri Sahin 2.0. However, the youngster was unable to meet the high expectations that followed and now looks back critically on the start of his career.

In an interview with 'Sport1', the 19-year-old recalled his first appearance in the BVB kit as “the best day of my life.” Immediately after his idol Marco Reus had announced his departure from his boyhood club, Wätjen set him up for a goal in early May 2024 in the 5-1 thrashing of Augsburg.

Nevertheless, the provider admitted: “Sometimes I wish it hadn’t gone so well.” The instant goal involvement had fueled expectations in him and his surroundings that, in hindsight, he would have preferred to slow down at first.

Only three more appearances in the BVB kit would follow, and in the summer Wätjen was loaned for a year to Ruhr neighbors VfL Bochum. For him, the “supposed step back to the 2nd division” is more of a step forward. Still, the German youth international confessed, looking back at his beginnings in black and yellow: “For me, it all went too fast.”

Whether he will actually return to Dortmund in the summer has not yet been decided. After his lightning start, Wätjen is focusing on his own development for now. The mantra for returning to BVB shooting-star status is clear: “work a lot to get back there someday.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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