Bundesliga
Niklas Süle: "Dortmund will have an edge"
New Borussia Dortmund signing Niklas Süle has his sights set on more trophies after making the switch from Bayern Munich, and believes there are exciting times ahead at the Signal Iduna Park following an eye-catching summer shake-up.
Süle joins Dortmund, aiming to help Die Schwarzgelben close the gap to their Klassiker rivals and end the Bavarians' 10-year grip on the Meisterschale.
A five-time Bundesliga champion and 2019/20 UEFA Champions League winner - amongst others - Süle has achieved more than most 26-year-old footballers.
And the Germany international says he hasn't come to Dortmund to "hide", but to continue lifting trophies - this time in Black and Yellow.
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"When I talked to the club, I felt a real connection to this club's ambitions, with what I've experienced in my career so far, and with what I still want to achieve," he said in his first interview with the club's website. "The chance to achieve those goals with BVB was an incredibly exciting prospect, and I can't wait for next season.
"I want to play an important part in us having a good season next year, and I want us to be as successful as possible. In the end we'll see where it takes us, but I'm confident that I can play my part and help us achieve our goals."
With Dortmund now back in training ahead of the new campaign, they will be hoping Süle's habit for winning quickly rubs off on his new teammates.
His leadership in the centre of a revamped defence alongside fellow summer signing Nico Schlotterbeck will be a major asset to new head coach Edin Terzic, and Süle - who could make his competitive debut in the DFB Cup first round meeting with 1860 Munich and his Bundesliga bow against Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 1 of 2022/23 - is already looking to set the bar for others to follow at his new club.
"There are various characters in football and various mentalities in terms of leading by example," he explained. "Experience has shown that I'm not the most vocal, but I try to give my teammates a good feeling by showing my qualities, and maybe to give them a certain amount of confidence when I play alongside them.
"At Bayern, I wasn't the big guy shouting at everyone - instead, I tried to make people feel that they knew what they were going to get, and to be someone who's composed on the ball but can speak up when there's something to say. I know what I can and will bring to the table, and I try to do that as best I can."
Süle is part of a summer reshape at the Signal Iduna Park, that has also seen the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Jayden Braaf, Salih Özcan and Schlotterbeck join the club.
Just like BVB's supporters, Süle is excited by what the group can achieve together considering the quality both already in their ranks and of that added to the squad in the off-season.
Süle said: "I've messaged [Adeyemi & Schlotterbeck], and I know them both well from the national team. They're both fantastic guys, and I get on well with them. They're supremely talented, and I think BVB have made some really good signings.
"I already know lots of the guys in this team, and I know they're great guys and great players. Of course, this is kind of a change in the squad, and I know that we can achieve a lot. If we manage to form a close-knit group, we have endless quality here and we can achieve good things."
Having become the latest player to cross the Klassiker divide, Süle may have to win over some of Dortmund's supporters due to enjoying so much success with their foes in recent years.
The defender is not only excited to represent the home side in front of the iconic Yellow Wall, but he also has a clear plan to gain their backing - be successful.
"I think the main way [to win Dortmund fans' hearts] is by playing well. People will see that I'm getting stuck in for the club colours, and that's definitely my goal," said Süle.
"I've played here as an opponent and I always looked forward to those games, because I think the way the Yellow Wall gets behind the team is unique in Germany.
"If we play good, honest football that inspires the fans every weekend, then we'll have a bit of an edge going into every game. That was my experience of Dortmund as an opposing player, and hopefully that's how it will be next year as a player for this club."