Timo Werner talks role with Germany

Timo Werner has had himself quite a few weeks. After deciding to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig, the Germany international is taking this week to focus on making himself a fixture in the lineup for Die Mannschaft.

Earlier today, kicker captured comments from a press conference where Werner and Germany business manager Oliver Bierhoff both spoke about the player’s excellent showing so far in the Bundesliga. Werner has five goals and one assist in four games across competitions this season.

Even with the hot start, Werner understands that his role with Die Mannschaft is always under the microscope. During the last international break, Germany head coach Joachim Löw opted not to include Werner in a 3-4-2-1 alignment against Belarus and a 4-3-3 against Estonia.

Against Belarus, Löw used Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry and Manchester City’s Leroy Sané up-top with Leon Goretzka as an attacking midfielder, while in the game versus Estonia, Gnabry, Sané, and Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus worked as a front-three. Both games saw Werner left on the bench to start.

Werner knows that he needs to prove himself once again:

The last three international matches were not so great for me in terms of the number of minutes. That’s why it was all the more important that I scored a goal against Estonia at the end of the old international year. That was important for me.

While unfortunate, the ACL injury to Manchester City’s Leroy Sane has opened up a spot up-top for Werner and he knows he must put forth a solid effort to make the starting XI:

It has freed up a place up front. Of course I have the ambition to perform again for the the national team after my good start in the Bundesliga. I feel good and the goals I scored do me good.

Bierhoff thinks that Werner’s early success is partly due to the 23-year-old’s decision to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig. With nothing hanging over his head, Werner can just play:

“Spieler”, weiß Bierhoff auch aus eigener Erfahrung, “wollen das vielleicht nicht immer zugeben, aber natürlich beschäftigt und belastet eine ungeklärte Vertragssituation mitunter. Die Ergebnisse seit seiner Unterschrift sprechen jedenfalls dafür, dass es Timo befreit hat.”

If you want to see a connection, then you will certainly find it. Players may not always admit it, but of course an unresolved contract situation preoccupies and burdens you. The results since he signed certainly suggest that it has relieved Timo. I’m happy because he can continue to mature at a top club under top conditions and a top coach.