In a wide-ranging interview with Kicker, Borussia Dortmund’s Pascal Groß was asked about his definition of leadership, core values and his inspiration. The German midfielder spent the last seven seasons at Brighton before making his return to Germany in the summer, and the 33-year-old’s performances has since established himself in Julian Nagelsmann’s national team setup, becoming a member of the team council.
Even with just eight international games, Nagelsmann appointed Groß on the DFB team council as one of the team’s more experienced players. When asked for his definition of leadership, Groß responded: “It’s extremely important that everyone takes every training session and every meeting seriously. We don’t have much time together in the national team, which is all the more valuable and we have to make the most of it.
“The goal must be to leave with two wins [editor note: against Hungary and the Netherlands] and a good feeling in order to maintain the euphoria that arose during the European Championship. We represent Germany. I want to lead the way with performance.”
Groß scored four and created 10 in 36 Premier League games for Brighton last season, and has already contributed in his early Borussia Dortmund career with three assists in as many games across all competitions.
When asked about his core values away from the football pitch, Groß responded with: “Punctuality. Sense of community. Solidarity.” The former Brighton player has played with some of the Premier League’s most experienced players, some of whom have influenced him: “James Milner, for example, who has played in the Premier League for more than 20 years. Adam Lallana and Danny Welbeck too.
“They are extremely professional, they train and play at the highest level. They don’t waste a single day. I am extremely inspired by how they maintain this level, always want to improve and aren’t just there to have a good time.”
Groß, like many footballers, was inspired by his parents. “It started very early with things that are taking for granted, that you say ‘hello’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. You have to be taught that as a child so that it becomes normal for you. Just like punctuality. There was a clear rule: if you were late when you were young, then you weren’t playing. Learning that will help you immensely later in life. It doesn’t matter whether you become a footballer of work in a company.”
Germany will play Hungary on Saturday night, before travelling to the Netherlands on Tuesday.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
