Ryan Sessegnon on life at Hoffenheim, English players in the Bundesliga and more
Ryan Sessegnon has made a bright start to life in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, and even bagged his first goal in the German top-flight against VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 8.
Sitting down with bundesliga.com in the same week Hoffenheim secured their place in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League, the England U21 international discusses following in Jadon Sancho's footsteps as an Englishman in the Bundesliga, life at Hoffenheim and more...
On his time at Hoffenheim so far...
Ryan Sessegnon: "It's been a very good impression. I think I've settled in this country, and in this club, and in the league very well. It's a credit to everybody in the club. They've welcomed me: all the staff, players, everybody. It's been a very good transition from England to Germany so far."
On his reasons for joining TSG...
Sessegnon: "Mainly because of playing, you know? Of course, Tottenham is a big club with very big players, and there were times last season when I didn't play enough football, so for me to come here to the Bundesliga and Hoffenheim was a great opportunity for me to go and play games under a very good manager and a very good team."
On what Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho thought of the move...
Sessegnon: "Yeah, he said he was all up for me going here and trying a new challenge, you know, for me to come here, play games, more experience under my belt, and that's the main thing, the main reason why I'm here: to go and play games."
On his role on the pitch...
Sessegnon: "I think you can see a bit of both - maybe a left-back, maybe an attacking left-back, maybe winger as well, maybe wing-back. A mixture of all three of those positions. Like you say, I can score goals, I can assist goals as well, but of course, when I play left-back in a back four or five, my first job is to defend for the team first and foremost. And then, anything after that is a bonus, you know?"
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On Angelino and Alphonso Davies...
Sessegnon: "Yeah, I think the two players you've just mentioned are very good players. They have, I would say, similar traits to me as well, but I can always learn from those who are doing very well in the Bundesliga as well."
On English players moving to the Bundesliga...
Sessegnon: "No, it's obviously a great opportunity for young players - maybe they weren't playing too much in England - for them to take a challenge, a next step outside of their comfort zone in Germany is great for them. I mean, Jadon Sancho was the first one that started the type of movement, and everyone has followed a little bit after that. So I think English players, especially young English players, have done well in Germany so far."
On beating Augsburg on Matchday 10...
Sessegnon: "No, it's very good at the moment. We knew the game against Augsburg was very important for us. We needed to win, we needed the three points massively, and like you say, I think seven games without a win was tough for us. But we kept believing, we kept pushing, and you saw in the game we gave 100 percent, you know. Thankfully we got the win and the three points, and we can build from there."
On Hoffenheim as a club...
Sessegnon: "I think it's not too different from my first club, Fulham, you know. It's like a family club. Very small club, family - when I say small, I mean the area, small area. Everybody's tight together like a family, so that's the impression I get when I play for this club."
On his love for football...
Sessegnon: "Ever since I was young playing the game, I've always loved playing the game. I've always enjoyed football from a young age, and then from there, each year you want to get better and improve and that's where my love came. From playing with my friends when I was young, and then from the academies and young age, and you progress and progress. The love is always there."
On what it means to be a footballer...
Sessegnon: "It was everything for me, it was fantastic. It's the thing that gave me joy as a young player, as a young person. It's the only thing I've always wanted to do when I was young, just play football, and for me to call it my job now is the best feeling ever."
On his brothers...
Sessegnon: "Yeah, so I have a twin brother called Steven. We came through the Fulham academy together as young kids, and we progressed together. We keep supporting each other - wherever he is I support him, wherever I am he supports me. Yeah, he made his debut a year after me - he had an injury the year I made my debut for Fulham. From there we've progressed, and the relationship is good. I have one more older brother as well that plays non-league in England. So it's a footballing background."
On 'battles' with his brothers...
Sessegnon: "I think for me and my brother Steven, when we were younger it was a battle. We wanted to see who was better, who was the better twin when we were younger. A lot of fighting and little battles, but as we've gotten older, it's more support and love for each other. But definitely, when we were younger it was more 'Who's the better Sessegnon', who's the better twin."
On scoring vs. Bayern Munich for Tottenham...
Sessegnon: "Definitely. For me to score in that game was massive for me, for my confidence. At the time, it was my first start for Tottenham so it was a good start for me, and like you say, to score against a great team like Bayern Munich, you only want to do more after that."
Watch: Sessegnon bagged his first Bundesliga goal against Stuttgart!
On his first Bundesliga goal...
Sessegnon: "A very good feeling. It was an important time to score in the game: we were losing 2-1 and we scored pretty early in the second half. The ball came to me, I took one touch, it was a good first touch in front of me, and I took another touch which set me up for a shot. So yeah, thankfully, when I shot, it went in. And at the time, it put us back into the game."
On the best moment of his life so far...
Sessegnon: "I'd say the best moment was making my debut in professional football, I would say. It has to be that because that set me up for where I am today. When I was 16 and I made my debut for Fulham. I would say that is the best moment in my life so far."
On the toughest moment of his life so far...
Sessegnon: "I think for me, my injury. Before I signed for Tottenham, I got injured in the EURO U21s, and that kind of put me back a little bit when I signed. I signed in August 2019, and I didn't play my first game until November. So the injury was a serious injury, but I would say that's maybe my worst moment... Yeah, definitely. Like you say, in football, some players are lucky if they have 18, 19 years of a career, and there's where I want to go as well. But with injuries, you never know what could happen. You touch wood that you stay fit, you stay good, and you hope that injuries don't stop your development."
On Hoffenheim's end to 2020...
Sessegnon: "No, of course, for us to get the win the other day was important, but now we have three tough games in the Bundesliga coming up. We just want to take it game by game, but of course, we're looking to win every game, and that's the aim."
On his personal goals...
Sessegnon: "For me personally, to play the games, firstly. And as a defender, I want clean sheets, I want no goals conceded, and then after that, a bonus maybe assists or goals as well. But the first job, no goals conceded, and then from there we have a platform to go and win."
On his career goals...
Sessegnon: "For me, my dream as a young player was always to win the Premier League. Win championships, win cups, any league cups, trophies, of course. Now that I'm at Hoffenheim, my aim is to win games, for us to get European football for next season as well, so hopefully top six is the aim again. And Europa League, of course, we want to go ahead and win the Europa League."
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