FC St. Pauli

...his first FCSP training camp:

It's so long ago I don't really know any more (laughs). It'll have been Schneverdingen under Holger Stanislawski in summer 2007. I don't remember all that much – apart from the running track...

...the toughest sessions:

This brings us back to the running track in Schneverdingen, where I took part in perhaps the toughest session ever. We had to sprint half a lap, i.e. 200 metres, and then hand over to a team-mate. While he was sprinting the 200 metres you had to get back to the starting point – not exactly slowly – and do it all over again. It was horrendous. We had another horrible session in Middels. We had to do 16 kilometres in an hour in groups of four. Each group had one bike. We put the weakest runner on the bike and he took one runner after another to the front. We were in the time in the end but it was so hard. It doesn’t get any pleasanter when the injured players pass you in a minibus waving and laughing either.

...activities away from the training ground:

In Austria we went rafting, which was a welcome change. Jumping into the cold water in a wetsuit took some doing but it was fun. Everyone enjoyed it and we didn't lose anyone. The focus is always on the training ground, of course, but things like that every so often are also important for the mood in the camp.

...his room-mates:

In the early days I shared a room with Marcel Eger, Arvid Schenk, Rouwen Hennings and then Philipp Heerwagen. When we were in Bad Lippspringe under André Schubert I was looking forward to my single room but then we were joined by a traillist in the shape of Robin Himmelmann. He was assigned to me and my single room was gone. Robin and I have been inseparable ever since.

Goalkeeper Robin Himmelmann and defensive all-rounder Jan-Philipp Kalla have shared a room since summer 2012.

...the importance of the surroundings:

When the hotel and the food are good, you can cope with the exertions a lot better. If the conditions aren't so good, you have lots of bad-tempered players running around and the mood suffers. You have to try to avoid that, of course, and that's down to every player.

...pranks with team-mates and the backroom staff:

There are players who are responsible for pranks and players who are on the receiving end of them. It's like that at every training camp. You should keep your eye on the salt, for example, and you have to watch your drinks bottle as well because they've been known to have seawater in them. Doors have been taped up or blocked using crates. You have to look out if it's the coaching team because they might get their own back on the training ground later.

...things to take with you for your spare time:

"I packed my bag and in it I put ... a pack of cards, and that's it. Cards are always good, you can play from bed to bed. At our last winter training camp there was a legendary game of Uno after which the loser, Dennis Rosin, had to have the shirt number of the winner, Brian Koglin, shaved into his hair. Robin and I have had a dartboard with us as well.

...the forthcoming training camp in Sotogrande:

Like a lot of other teams we're going to Spain this year rather than Turkey. I'm looking forward to it, it's a change. If my information is correct, you can't see the sea from our hotel but I can cope with that. We're training on polo pitches apparently. I'm keen to find out if they'll give us 25 to 30 horses. That would be something to see, something for the goggle box (laughs).

Photos: Witters