FC St. Pauli

Luca Zander on…

...the praise from coach Timo Schultz and the current situation on the pitch: First of all, it's nice to hear that people see I'm putting my foot down in training. In football, there are phases when you don't play as much. What’s important is how you deal with it. I think you can draw strength from it by working even harder and that's what I'm trying to do. As a player, it's the best and only thing you can do. Then, when you come on, you have to go flat out and prove you can help the team."

...his performance after coming on against Paderborn: "It was great for me. A lot of what I did came off. It gives you confidence for future assignments when you're able to influence a game and help to turn it in our favour. That's my objective for the next few games as well."

...competing with Manolis Saliakas at right-back: "It's a team game and so both of us can benefit from the competition. That's also what I used to say about me and Sebastian Ohlsson. It's always an incentive for us to be better in training. During the game, we give each other our full support. When the other person is on the pitch, you wish him all the best. That's important for the team. We want to win games and pick up points."

...his status as one of the longest-serving players: I do try to get everyone on board. I have as much to do with all the new players as I do with everyone else; for me there are no more new players. I like to do stuff with everyone, whether they're only 18 or 32 already."

Luca Zander has been going flat out in training for weeks, which has earned him the praise of head coach Timo Schultz.

...his development over the last few years: "The focus of the coaching team is to make every player better. I think they've managed to do that with me. On top of that there's the experience you have when you make 100 appearances in the second division. You don't get knocked out of your stride so quickly then."

...the depth in the squad: "I'm happy it worked so well against Paderborn. We also have a lot of power and skill on the bench, it has to be said. Lots of us are capable of turning a game in the right direction."

...the away record: We have to give it all we've got, there'll be no invoking of rituals or anything like that. We simply have to give our all and play with the energy we had against Paderborn. Anything is possible then and we can win the game. No one will go into the game feeling unsure of themselves, we're all fully focused and motivated."

...Greuther Fürth and inside information from keeper Sascha Burchert: "We'll analyse the opposition more closely in the next few days. Maybe Sascha will have one or two things to say then. The last game against Fürth was awesome because I got on the scoresheet, which doesn't happen all that often. Maybe I'll be able to do it again."

Photos: Witters