Can: “Winning the title is realistic”

Speaking to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the 26-year-old was asked whether he thought BVB have a realistic chance of lifting the Meisterschale at the end of the season – and was unequivocal in his response.

“Yes. Obviously it’ll be difficult but we’ve still got to play against Bayern and Leipzig,” Can said. “So we’re still going to go up against our direct rivals. We need to win those games.”

Watch: Emre Can exclusive interview

The Germany international should know how it's done, having collected silverware throughout his career. He was part of Bayern’s treble-winning squad in 2013, won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup with Germany, and then added the Italian Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana to his trophy cabinet during an 18-month spell with Juventus.

Can has made five Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund since joining on loan from the Old Lady in January, and impressed to such an extent that his transfer was quickly made a permanent one.

He started in style, scoring the February Goal of the Month on debut with a sensational strike against his former club Bayer Leverkusen. While that match ultimately ended in defeat, Dortmund have won their four subsequent league games.

Watch: Can wins February Goal of the Month!

All of which has turned Can into an instant fan favourite at the Signal Iduna Park – not that he is letting that go to his head.

“I haven’t really thought about that at all," he said. "I just wanted to be able to show what I’m capable of again, after not playing much in Italy before I left.”

The former Liverpool player is now on an enforced break as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but he has been doing his part to help the club and community. The BVB No.27 had no hesitation in waiving his salary, and he also has a new penpal as part of a nationwide 'Pen and Paper' initiative designed to combat loneliness among generations less familiar with modern technology.

“I’ve written to an elderly lady, which is something I haven’t done in about 15 years,” he said. “It’s a campaign that’s very important to me because I completely identify with its slogan: ‘All together against social isolation’.

"The idea is to write to people who aren’t doing so well, who are on their own and don’t know how to use the internet. The lady hasn’t replied yet, but if she gets back to me and has questions, I’ll write back.”

In addition to working on his penmanship, Can is following the ‘stay at home’ guidelines as much as possible.

“We usually have training in the morning at Dortmund, but in the afternoon I’m by myself at home,” he said. “Fortunately my house has a terrace and I can sit in the sun for a bit or watch TV.”