Ansgar Knauff has enjoyed a remarkable rise at Borussia Dortmund in recent weeks. And the 19 year old wants to stay at the club for years to come.
The last month has been quite a memorable one for Ansgar Knauff. The Borussia Dortmund youth academy product was surprisingly named in the starting XI for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City. And he then came off the bench and scored a stunning winner against VfB Stuttgart just four days later.
Following his impressive first-team exploits in recent weeks, Knauff is more determined than ever to take his chance at Borussia Dortmund. In an interview with WAZ, the winger said:
"“I believe in myself, otherwise I wouldn’t be playing for Borussia Dortmund. The last few weeks have whetted my appetite for more.”“There’s a good atmosphere in the squad. The mix of young players and experienced players is just right. I take players like Marco Reus as my role models. When I was younger, I watched them all on TV, now I’m on the pitch with them. I can learn a lot from them.”"
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed last month that Knauff will be a permanent part of the first-team squad next season. Knauff wants to play in the first-team as much as possible, and hopes that he will stay with the Black and Yellows for a long time.
"“I’m very happy here. I want to play as much as possible next season. And then I’ll have to see how it goes. Ideally, I’ll stay with the club for a long time.”"
Knauff’s performances for the Borussia Dortmund U-23s prompted the BVB bosses to hand him his professional contract in November. And the Germany U-19s international believes that playing in the Regionalliga West this season has really helped him grow as a player.
"“In the youth team, I compete with players my own age. In the second team, I have sometimes played against players who were ten years older. It’s a completely different level of toughness, and the many games have helped me a lot. We’re also playing an exceptional season. I hope we get promoted to the 3rd league.”"
Knauff has made a total of 23 appearances for BVB II this season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists. His performances have been crucial towards the U-23s’ promotion push. The highly rated winger has made six appearances for the senior team so far, and has one goal and one assist to his name.