Christoph Zimmermann: “It was a massive step from Borussia Dortmund II to the Premier League but I’m loving it”

BM: I first came across you when you played for Borussia Dortmund’s second team when Daniel Farke was there in 16/17 and now for the last few years you have been here at Norwich. A question that comes to mind straight away is it must be some transition from gates of 300-400 in the Regionaliga to the Premier League and gates in the tens of thousands. So what is it actually like playing in the Premier League?

You obviously see some of the former players from Borussia Dortmund days like Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Jadon Sancho and other German players in the Premier League like Kai Havertz and Timo Werner as well. Have you had the chance to speak to them so far?

CZ: I chatted with Jadon Sancho when he just joined Manchester United. I left BVB in 2017 in the summer Sancho arrived in Dortmund, it’s good to see him back and I hope Old Trafford works out for him. The rapport with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the stand out one so far, he was at BVB when I was there and there were quite a few training sessions I got to be part of with the first team and also I played in some friendlies so I knew some of the lads like Auba from then. When we met up again at the Emirates stadium, it was great to speak to him.

The same thing with Jürgen Klopp as well, he left Dortmund in 2015 and I had just arrived from Gladbach but I spent the training camp in the summer with the first team at Dortmund and when we played Liverpool here, Klopp and I chatted a bit after the game, in the position Jürgen is in I was impressed he remembered me, I certainly do not take those things for granted.