Ryan Sessegnon: "I'm a better player and a person"

The 20-year-old England U21 international left-back joined Hoffenheim at the start of the 2020/21, bagging two goals and two assists from his 11 league appearances so far as well as helping Hoffenheim qualify for the UEFA Europa League knockout rounds.

Sessegnon has joined the likes of Borussia Dortmund pair Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham in moving from England to Germany, albeit on a short-term basis, while Demarai Gray has recently also made the move on loan to Bayer Leverkusen. Sessegnon followed in the footsteps of Reiss Nelson in taking a loan opportunity at Hoffenheim and can already see the move paying off.

"On the pitch from what I've shown, yeah," Sessegnon said when asked by bundesliga.com at a media round table this week if he felt he had improved as a player at Hoffenheim. "My defensive side of the game in terms of one-on-one duels you can see where I've improved. But again, there is still more where I can improve as well like aerial duels, my tactical positioning as well.

"And being a bit more vocal off the pitch as well. I'm kind of a quiet person off the pitch really. I keep myself to myself. But I try to interact a bit more and I think since I've been here, I've definitely improved in that way as well."

Sessegnon played every minute of nine successive Bundesliga matches before a thigh injury ruled him out at the start of 2021. Hoffenheim's No.17 is nearing a return to fitness which could see him be back in time to face Sancho when Hoffenheim travel to Dortmund on Matchday 21.

Watch: Sessegnon's first Bundesliga goal in the win over Gladbach!

But the former Fulham player says he has used his time in Germany wisely while missing six league fixtures to watch two fellow Bundesliga stars playing in the same position as him. Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and RB Leipzig's Angelino have starred at left wing-back this season for their respective sides, and Sessegnon is raring to return and do the same.

"I like to watch Alphonso Davies and Angelino, two very good players, two very attack-minded full-backs/wing-backs," Sessegnon said. "We've got similar traits and similar strengths and things like that. Of course, I can always learn from other players and those are two players I like watching very much."

There are three-and-a-half months remaining of the 2020/21 season and of Sessegnon’s loan deal with the Sinsheimers. And despite his recent injury setback, Bundesliga fans, Sessegnon and all at Hoffenheim would agree that his decision to make the move has been proven the right one.

And it's a move the Englishman would recommend to fellow young players looking for further chances to impress at the highest level.

"I would say 100 percent, take the chance and go and do it and embrace everything," Sessegnon said. "I think you'll come back a different person and a different player. All these little experiences add up, and I think for me, it has definitely made me a better player and a better person."