From worry to key player? Couto on his development at BVB | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund is finally seeing the hoped-for development in Yan Couto. The BVB star openly explains how mental changes and clear instructions from coach Niko Kovac led to his upswing.

Yan Couto was long a player with a question mark in Dortmund. After his costly transfer from Manchester City, the Brazilian initially struggled, but now the 23-year-old’s form curve is clearly on the rise. The right-back has explained himself what the reasons are—and what role BVB coach Niko Kovac plays in it.

Couto’s early days at BVB were anything but smooth. In addition to sporting adaptation difficulties, personal factors also weighed on him. “At the beginning, it was difficult. I struggled with loneliness for a while; it was a big adjustment in many areas,” he openly told Ruhr Nachrichten. Only a conscious change in his daily routine brought the turnaround. “I changed a lot in my routine outside of training and matches,” said Couto, who now stays focused even when he doesn’t start the game.

On the pitch, the full-back mainly benefited from clear demands from his coach. Kovac asks him for more stability in his play against the ball—with success. “The coach expects me to win duels both in defense and in attack,” Couto explained.

No longer a million-euro flop? Couto becomes more important for BVB

Especially defensively, the BVB star sees his greatest progress: “That’s an area where I’ve improved a lot football-wise since I arrived here.” While his attacking qualities were already known, the Brazilian specifically worked on his defensive play.

“It was known that I was good offensively. Improving my defensive work was a process,” he said in retrospect. Now, that process is paying off: 15 competitive matches, two goals, and three assists are on his record so far, and Couto is repeatedly pushing into the starting eleven.

The wing-back, signed for around 20 million euros, is not satisfied with that, however. His ambition is clearly stated: he wants “to become an even more complete player.” The development of recent months suggests that the supposed million-euro flop could yet become an important building block for Borussia Dortmund.

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