Van der Heyden: "The most important thing for me is to be on the pitch"
Wednesday, 05. February 2025, 09:00 Uhr
New recruit Siebe Van der Heyden made his debut straightaway at home to Augsburg on Saturday, and just a few days later, he faced the media at the Kollau training ground for the first time.
Siebe Van der Heyden on…
...his arrival at the club: "It was incredible. Everyone gave me such a warm welcome from the first moment on. The lads approached me straightaway and I've been able to develop a good connection with them. I hope we can build on that because having a good chemistry in the team is very important. I want to adapt as quickly as possible and carry on being part of the team. It's going very well so far."
...his first impressions of the Millerntor: "It puts a smile on my face straightaway because I was given such a warm reception. I remember the fans chanting my name when I came on. It felt good and very welcoming. I'm glad it went the way it did."
...his nickname Sibombi: "I like this name. It's easy for everyone to remember. When I was 10, I played at Anderlecht and we had a coach who always called me Sibombi. I don't know why he did that, but it stuck in my head."
...the weather in Hamburg compared with Mallorca: "The weather is obviously a reason why you feel comfortable in a place, but feeling comfortable in a team and getting minutes is more important. We're footballers, not people who just want to enjoy life. The most important thing for me is being on the pitch. That’s why I came here. I feel very welcome and I'm happy to be here."
New signing Siebe Van der Heyden receiving the final instructions from goalkeeper coach Sven Van Der Jeugt just before coming on.
...his potential role in the team: "I prefer playing as a centre-back. I have an aggressive style of play. I like defending forward and getting into the tackles. At Union Saint-Gilloise I played as the left centre-back in a similar system. That's my natural position."
...the reunion with head coach Alexander Blessin: "Our eyes were smiling when we saw each other again. He had a very good spell at Union. We had a connection even though we only worked together there for a couple of weeks. It was really nice to feel that connection again."
...his passion for darts: "My brothers and I love it. We used to play together a lot. I have a bit of talent but not that much. Darts helps me to be mentally strong. I always want to win. When I play with my brothers, I'm all agitated inside, though I don't let it show too much. I can't win every time and I hate that."
Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters
