Zack Steffen: Fortuna Düsseldorf's USA goalkeeper on rituals, the No.24 jersey and admiring Roman Bürki
If Zack Steffen's first spell in the Bundesliga didn't go quite as planned, the start of USA goalkeeper's second stint in Germany – this time with Fortuna Düsseldorf – has been the stuff dreams are made of.
The 24-year-old was at Freiburg from 2014-2016 but didn't make a first-team appearance before returning Stateside with Columbus Crew.
Now a member of Friedhelm Funkel's side, having joined on loan from Manchester City for the season, Ederson's understudy has shown he is not at Fortuna simply to make up the numbers and if his 10 saves against Werder Bremen are anything to go by, he has big ambitions in the Bundesliga this season.
Watch: Highlights of Düsseldorf's win over Bremen
"I want to keep as many shots out as I can," Steffen told bundesliga.com in an exclusive interview this week. "I'm expecting to keep the team in the game. To make the saves I need to make and to do my job.”
He has certainly done that so far. Fortuna had not won at the Weser-Stadion in their 15 previous attempts prior to the team's Matchday 1 encounter, but some clinical finishing combined with Steffen's You-Shall-Not-Pass performance ultimately gave the Flingeraner a 3-1 victory.
Even Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt was moved to praise the Düsseldorf stopper: "We should've scored at least three more goals but we were up against a fantastic goalkeeper."
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Steffen himself was understandably delighted with his debut and to be playing in the Bundesliga: "It‘s amazing. It's such a good and strong league, probably one of the best in the world. I'm just trying to enjoy it.“
Good performances always help in that regard and his experience in Freiburg has stood him in good stead. It was during the 2014/15 season in the Black Forest that he shared training sessions and a changing room with current Borussia Dortmund No.1 Roman Bürki.
"I like [him] a lot," Steffen said. "He's very strong, quick and athletic. I like his style of play. He's also good with his feet.”
The 15-time USA international shares more than a few of those same qualities, although he looked to another goalkeeper for inspiration when choosing his shirt number upon arriving in Düsseldorf.
"When they asked me what number I wanted to pick, I saw 24 and I thought of Tim Howard. He was and still is my role model. I just remember watching him as much as I could."
Bürki and Howard aside, Steffen has developed a few traits of his own that help him focus on the task at hand.
“I have some personal rituals," he said. "I put on my left glove and my left cleat before I put on the right ones on. Every time. It just feels right and good which lets me get tuned for the game.”
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