Selke on HSV’s promotion: “My best time as a footballer” | OneFootball

Davie Selke made himself immortal at HSV in just one season. With 22 league goals, the striker shot the Rothosen back into the Bundesliga after seven years of second-tier play and became the face of the promotion.

The images of the celebrations at the Volkspark, on the Hamburg town hall balcony, and during the parade around the Binnenalster were still fresh when Selke and the HSV officials negotiated the continuation of their collaboration. The farewell a few weeks later was all the more painful.

"Of course, the time in the summer was very emotionally challenging for me," Selke said in an interview with Sport Bild. The fact that a contract extension did not happen despite mutual interest affected him. It was "important to me that the portrayal is accurate," emphasized the 30-year-old. "My plan was always for my path to continue with HSV. Considering the very successful season, I showed maximum cooperation in the contract talks to find a solution." Nevertheless, "unfortunately, it did not lead to a positive outcome."

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Selke believes in HSV's survival in the league

Instead, Selke decided to move abroad and signed with Basaksehir FK in Istanbul – even though there was also interest from the Bundesliga. In the summer, Union Berlin and RB Leipzig were reportedly among those who approached the goal-getter. "I experienced an incredible emotional time in Hamburg with the promotion and the celebrations. That's why a move within Germany at that time would not have been fair to HSV," he explained his decision.

The first months in Turkey were sportingly inconsistent, but looking back at Hamburg is filled with gratitude. On the Waterkant, he experienced his "best time as a footballer" and is "very proud" of what was achieved. "It was unfortunately only one year, but the time will always remain in my heart," said Selke.

He continues to follow HSV closely and believes the club can stay in the league. "The power that arises in the Volkspark together with the fans is an incredible bonus," Selke enthused, referring to games "against Werder, Stuttgart, or Dortmund." These are the words of a promotion hero who has never emotionally left Hamburg completely.

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