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FC Union Berlin President Dirk Zingler, speaking to Sky Germany, has said he expects left-back Tom Rothe to be playing for the German national team soon.
Rothe's fellow young German FCU professional Benedict Hollerbach was full of praise for his teammate when conducting his post-match interview yesterday.
Even if Bo Svensson's 1. FC Union Berlin haven't always produced the most exciting football in the young German footballing cycle, the fact that die Eisernen have yet to be defeated through five competitive fixtures speaks volumes. Moreover, the team definitely appears to be improving.
A 2-1 win over hapless Hoffenheim at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei yesterday enabled the Köpenickers to pick up their second league victory of the season. Svensson's squad have garnered a respectable eight points through three match-days.
Union owe much to 19-year-old fullback Tom Rothe, who scored one goal and assisted another in Saturday's win. Rothe became a regular fixture in Svensson's XI on match-day two, turning in two convincing performances before getting his name on the scoresheet.
Following his successful loan stint with Kiel last year, Rothe was quite the sought-after commodity on the summer transfer market. Surprisingly enough, Dortmund opted to sell him outright to their northern neighbors. Naturally, there are rumors of a BVB buyback clause.
For the time being, it appears as if the Köpenickers have picked up a steal of a deal in the teenage talent. Rothe cost a reported €5 million, but may soon be worth much more. Union are expected to recoup at least €8 million once the automatic purchase clause of Rothe's predecessor is confirmed.
Union striker Benedict Hollerbach, who enjoyed some success playing ahead of Robin Gosens last season, noted that he missed Rothe's predecessor when conducting his post-match interview with Sky Germany yesterday. The 23-year-old still had high praise for his new teammate.
"Tom played me a few very good balls," Hollerbach told his Sky interviewer, "I'm happy about the quality we've added. I was sad to see Robin Gosens leave. He often set me up. If Tom can do that one-on-one, all the better.”
Union President Dirk Zingler - also speaking to Sky - seconded the motion. The club's top exec also let it be known that he expected Rothe to be following in Gosens' footsteps soon. In Zingler's opinion, the youngster will make it to the German national team much sooner than Gosens did.
"If he continues to develop, he'll be seen by our national team coaches," Zingler said, "Tom will be the future left-back of the German national team. He's the best 19-year-old we have at that position."
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