Maximilian Eggestein is so many things for Werder Bremen: home grown, identification figure, high achiever. In the meantime, however, he also acts as a contact person for the young players who definitely have their share in Bremen’s upward trend.
“We brought constancy into our game”: Maximilian Eggestein.
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When Manuel Mbom moved to Werder boarding school in 2013, Maximilian Eggestein was already there. “We know each other well,” says the 24-year-old about the younger offspring. Since this season, both have been playing together for the Bremen professionals. But while Eggestein is gradually heading towards his 150th Bundesliga game, a lot is still new territory for Mbom.
In the 4-1 win at Hertha BSC last Saturday, the 20-year-old owed a very impetuous penalty to Matheus Cunha. “We have talked about this situation in the meantime,” explains Eggestein, who characterizes Mbom as “very curious”. Or: willing to learn. As his boarding school buddy at the time, he would be happy to give him advice. Eggestein even remembers a very similar action, “when I caused a penalty against Leverkusen in the last minute,” said the midfielder, “then we swap ideas.”
Eggestein knows: “There are always a few questions”
At Werder there is hardly a better contact person in this regard. With the club since 2011, Eggestein took the development step from home grown to professional, to high achiever, even to a potential national team player (when he was invited, however, he did not appear). And as a veteran of Bremen, he sees himself all the more responsible to “take by the hand” the young players around Mbom or Romano Schmid and Felix Agu, who are also playing their first Bundesliga season, as he explains: “Den Getting started is not always easy. There are always a few questions. ”
Eggestein is pleased that the young professionals are currently “performing so steadily”, especially “because that is the only way we can go”. It is no secret that “we are economically not in the best situation to be able to sign many newcomers”. That would be a special opportunity for players who are capable of development. “And they affirm that this can be a good way to go.”
Eggestein now wants to “get some air” for itself and Werder
Eggestein reports that the team has drawn fresh self-confidence from the most recent games against Hertha and Borussia Mönchengladbach: “We brought consistency into our game.” That is all the more important before the important week with games on Saturday against Schalke, on Tuesday in the DFB Cup against Greuther Fürth and on Sunday at Arminia Bielefeld. Before his 142nd Bundesliga game, Eggestein said: “We can breathe – and that’s our goal.”
