Big shoes to fill at HSV: Bornauw on Vuskovic comparisons | OneFootball

With the signing of Sebastiaan Bornauw, HSV has found its new defensive leader. However, the challenge awaiting the Belgian could hardly be any bigger.

After all, the 27-year-old is stepping into the shoes of Luka Vuskovic. During his one-year loan spell, the 19-year-old developed into an absolute key player, marshaled Hamburg’s defense, won more aerial duels than any other Bundesliga professional, and also contributed six goals. Accordingly, expectations of Bornauw are high, and he is well aware of the inevitable comparisons with his predecessor.

The new HSV defender has been following the Croatian’s development for a long time. “I always watch the Belgian league, so I knew he was a great player,” Bornauw explained on Thursday afternoon. His performances at the Volkspark had not gone unnoticed either: “I followed that he also had a great season at HSV.”

However, the former Wolfsburg and Cologne player has no ambition to be an exact copy of his predecessor. “I’m here to play my own game,” Bornauw made clear. Like Vuskovic, he wants to bring in his own strengths and take on a leadership role in defense.

Photo: IMAGO

Bornauw wants to help HSV as a goalscorer too

The Leeds United signing has a clear idea of how he can help the team. He wants to lead by example with “intensity and lots of challenges” and take responsibility. Bornauw also sees himself as having a duty offensively: “If the moment is right, I’ll try to chip in with a goal here and there.”

That he can pose a goal threat has already been proven by the center-back in the Bundesliga. In his first season with 1. FC Cologne, he scored six goals. Vuskovic scored exactly the same number last season. Whether Bornauw can truly fill his predecessor’s shoes will become clear in the coming months. Replacing such an exceptional talent one for one is likely to be nearly impossible. However, HSV hopes that its new defensive leader can at least come as close as possible to Vuskovic’s level.

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