Borussia Dortmund's Niko Kovač talks up American teen Mathis Albert
Borussia Dortmund youngster Mathis Albert has earned praise from head coach Niko Kovač after continuing his impressive pre-season with a strong showing on the club's tour of Japan.
Albert, 17, has impressed throughout pre-season after making his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund late last season. The attacking prospect also got on the scoresheet in a friendly defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf before making the most of further opportunities in Japan.
Following Dortmund's 1-0 friendly victory over FC Tokyo on Saturday, Kovač highlighted the American's all-round qualities. "You can see what abilities he has. He's fast, strong in the air, and I have to say he put in a lot of effort," the BVB coach explained.
The praise reflects more than Albert's attacking talent. Kovač's demanding style places a premium on work rate and defensive discipline, and the teenager believes those higher standards have significantly improved his game.
"It has helped me take a certain aspect of my game to a new level," Albert said. "Before, I wasn't the best in some areas, but this has motivated me to work much harder. There are higher demands, such as the work rate and the space that needs to be covered, especially in the new, more central position. This has definitely helped my game a lot."
The USA youth international has also made no secret of his long-term ambitions at Signal Iduna Park. "My dream is to become an important player for the club and to stand out, to be a true leader and help the team win games. I don't want to reduce my game to just statistics. My main goal is to get better every day and develop as much as possible," he told Sky.
Having already caught Kovač's eye this summer, Albert now has further opportunities to strengthen his case. Dortmund return from Japan on 2 August before friendlies against Arsenal and Roma, where the former LA Galaxy academy talent will look to continue his impressive pre-season form ahead of the new campaign.
