"Keeping an eye on him": HSV mentor Poulsen spots his next protégé | OneFootball

Yussuf Poulsen is increasingly becoming the extended arm of the coaching staff at HSV. The striker is currently working his way back step by step after overcoming an ankle injury, but his importance to the team goes far beyond appearances on the pitch.

After the 1-1 draw in Mainz, the 32-year-old spoke in a Sky interview about his physical condition: “I already feel very good, and you could see that in the intense minutes I put in. I’m glad to be fully fit again.”

What stood out most, however, was his involvement off the field. With assistant coach Loïc Favé suspended, Poulsen at times took on the role of an additional coach himself. He especially took left winger Philip Otele under his wing.

“We just got him as a new addition,” Poulsen explained his active communication afterwards. “That’s one of the attacking positions where he still has a lot to learn about how we want to press. If he’s on my side, I can keep an eye on him. The coach has to keep an eye on eleven players.”

Photo: IMAGO

Poulsen takes HSV youngster under his wing

In doing so, Poulsen is consistently continuing his teaching role. Already at the start of the season, he had taken intensive care of youngster Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit, who even publicly referred to him as a “mentor” on Instagram. Now, Otele seems to be the next player to benefit from Poulsen’s experience.

The HSV captain acts out of personal conviction. “As a young player, I loved it when experienced players came up to me and gave me little tips,” the Dane explained. That’s exactly the kind of support he now wants to pass on.

The fact that Poulsen is currently coaching more often than playing is also due to his series of injuries. So far, he has only started once, with ten substitute appearances in addition. Nevertheless, he has a major influence on the team. This was evident, for example, in the northern derby against Werder Bremen (3-2), when he gave tactical instructions to Aboubaka Soumahoro during a break in play.

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