Deniz Undav on his role in the national team: “I try to help the team, to be positive, to bring in a good mood. And if I should play, I will step on the gas.”

Speaking to the media today, Deniz Undav has commented on what he thinks his role may be in the squad during the March international break. 

Undav will likely have to compete with Kai Havertz, Niclas Füllkrug and Maximilian Beier for the striker role in the national team, but the 27-year-old is seemingly aware of his position, saying: “I don’t have a challenge. I try to help the team, to be positive, to bring in a good mood. And if I should play, I will step on the gas. In a European Championship, you don’t need eleven, but 23 players who know and accept their roles.”

The Stuttgart striker also spoke on his dream of playing for the German national team, despite being eligible to play for Turkey. Undav said: “The sweater fit perfectly (which he wore upon arrival to the national team) because a dream came true for me with the nomination…It was clear to me from the start that I wanted to play for Germany because I grew up here. I am doing very well here, I have very little connection to Turkey. I was just waiting for the call from the national trainer and was all the happier when he called.”

Finally, Undav spoke on what it was like to be called up with three of his teammates (Chris Führich, Waldemar Anton and Maximilian Mittelstädt), the 27-year-old said: “Everyone was happy for the other in the dressing room. We made a few jokes, for example, that we no longer talk to non-national players.” Undav’s press conference partner Niclas Füllkrug then chimed in: “The fun would not be so good for us in the dressing room.” which was a joke aimed at the snub to his teammates at Borussia Dortmund. 

Undav is the highest-scoring German in the Bundesliga with 14 goals and eight assists this season, which is more than any other German in the national team and despite Julian Nagelsmann’s claim that Havertz is more in form, that is false. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan