Chukwuemeka with honest admission: "I never had any doubts" | OneFootball

His start was bumpy. But Carney Chukwuemeka has persevered in Dortmund. The 22-year-old midfielder worked his way into Niko Kovač's (54) starting lineup through short appearances.

Sebastian Kehl (45) is full of praise for Chukwuemeka. "He can make the difference by finding solutions in tight spaces. He adds an additional footballing element to our midfield," the BVB sporting director is convinced of the Englishman, who was born in Eisenstadt, Austria.

Chukwuemeka played the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan for the Black and Yellows. Shortly before the end of the summer transfer period, the Westphalians permanently brought the 22-year-old into the club and gave him a contract until 2030. Chelsea FC received 20 million euros for their player.

Initially, the 23-time junior national player struggled with fitness problems. He has caught up with that. However, among his 28 appearances for BVB (four goal involvements), there is still none over the full 90 minutes. "I am fit and feel physically good," Chukwuemeka now emphasizes in an interview with club media. And he adds: "Personally, I feel that I am making good progress and can now show more and more what I am capable of week by week." In the most recent three Bundesliga games, he was always part of the starting lineup.

"A real boost for me"

Chukwuemeka does not regret leaving London. "I think for me it was just about escaping everything and focusing entirely on myself," says the midfielder. "I had no doubts about going abroad." He describes himself as "quite independent." In Dortmund, he just wants to "focus on football and block everything else out."

He is succeeding in this more and more. In the 4-1 Champions League victory against Athletic Bilbao, he scored the interim 2-0 with a left-footed shot. The BVB professional recalls: "It was an incredible feeling. However, I only really realized it when I got home." There, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of having scored his first goal in the Champions League. "That was a real boost for me."

Chukwuemeka does not see himself at the end of his development yet. His motto is therefore: "I want more, I want more, I want more."

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