Brodersen pleased with progress
Thursday, 13. June 2019, 16:54 Uhr
Last season was a big step forward for Svend Brodersen. The keeper got his first taste of first-team football and was a permanent fixture of the squad as Robin Himmelmann's stand-in. We spoke to the Hamburg native about his footballing development and being able to play for his favourite club.
"When you're a permanent part of the group and a member of the squad at the weekend, it's a different feeling than when you're only playing for the second team and training there some of the time," said Brodersen, summing up the main difference compared with his previous seasons at the club before explaining why it is so important. "When you're together all the time there's a different relationship of trust and you simply know each other better. That gives me the confidence to play my part."
Plenty of reasons for Brodersen to be cheerful, then, also in terms of his development. "I've made a step forward as a player and as a person every year," he said with a smile. "Becoming the No2 was the logical next step. I'm delighted it's going positively. I see the progress I'm making and I'm proud to be able to call myself a real professional footballer."
Brodersen's first game at senior level saw him being thrown in at the deep end. The young keeper made his second-division bow against none other than FC Cologne, who went on to secure promotion, in front of 50,000 spectators. "Playing in front of all those people wasn't a problem," he said. "You can't afford to think about it too much in games like that. I've got used to big crowds sitting on the bench and playing for the national team, so I was able to focus solely on my performance. Communication was difficult, though. Christopher Avevor cleaned me out on one occasion because he simply didn't hear me."
After two away games – Brodersen kept goal at Kiel as well – the picture would be completed with a game at the Millerntor. "I often played for the under-7s as part of the pre-match entertainment before first-team games," he said. "We were nippers and we played on the full-size pitch, so not many goals were scored. I also remember being taken aback by the number of fans who were already at the Millerntor at nine in the morning."
No matter where his future career takes him, Brodersen will always make his way back to St. Pauli simply because he has a lifelong season ticket. "I'll always be a St. Pauli fan, but I have to put that to one side at the moment. I can see myself staying here forever, all things being equal. Something can always come up, of course, but things are going well at St. Pauli, which really makes me happy."
Photos: Witters
