“The lads respect my opinion“

In an interview with herthabsc.de, Dedryck Boyata discussed communicating with his teammates, his ‘little brother’ in the team and Saturday’s game against 1. FC Köln (22/02, 15:30 CET).

Berlin – There are two things that are quickly noticeable about Dedryck Boyata on the football pitch. Firstly, the centre back is extremely calm on the field and rarely lets himself be deterred by anything. The second Boyata trademark is his constant communication with his teammates. He is often winking, pointing and instructing to ensure the defence is more stable. “I need to speak a lot to my teammates and give out instructions in my position,” explained the 29-year-old. “The lads respect my opinion, which strengthens my belief that I can be a leader!” The Belgian has finally settled into life in Berlin, and is starting to be dangerous in attack too. He headed in the opening goal in Hertha’s recent 2-1 win at Paderborn, dedicating his celebration to his pregnant wife. Herthabsc.de spoke to Boyata ahead of the Köln game about life as a father, his ‘little brother’ in the team and the game itself against the Billy Goats.

Herthabsc.de: Dedo, after scoring against Paderborn you put the ball under your shirt to dedicate the goal to your pregnant wife Manon. How excited are you both for the birth of your child?

Boyata: Massively! We’re both so excited for our first child – it’s a boy (smiles). We haven’t thought of a name yet though.

Herthabsc.de: Your first child will be born in Berlin. You’ve been here for almost eight months now and seem to have really settled in…

Boyata: …yes, definitely! I’ve been here a while now and I’m really happy here.

Herthabsc.de: Things are going well for you off the pitch and you’re also a key part of Hertha’s defence on it. You seem very confident during games and give a lot of instructions too. How does it feel knowing that your coach and teammates already have so much trust in you?

Boyata: I need to speak a lot to my teammates and give out instructions in my position. I’ve noticed my teammates respect my opinion too, which strengthens my belief that I can be a leader for our younger players. We need to help each other on and off the pitch – it’s important!

Herthabsc.de: Dodi Lukebakio has recently described you as his ‘big brother’. Do you two spend time together privately?

Boyata: We do try to do things together in our spare time regularly, although that’s not happened much recently as I’ve been at home more with my wife due to her pregnancy. I still try to look after Dodi though (laughs). He’s a young player, who comes from the same country as me. Our parents also know each other, so it’s only natural for me to support him as much as I can. He’s like a ‘little brother’ to me and I’m always there for him if he needs any advice or help. I also get on well with my other teammates - it’s a close-knit bunch here.

Herthabsc.de: You’ve played alongside Karim Rekik, Jordan Torunarigha and Niklas Stark at the back this season. Is it hard to adjust to a different centre-back partner? How’s the communication between you all?

Boyata: For my own game it’s not that important who plays alongside me, as I still have to be in the same places and do the same job. I’ll still look to help the team and try to prevent goals being scored against us. We obviously speak to each other in different languages: Karim and I speak in French, whereas I talk to Nik and Jordan mainly in English, although we do use German sometimes if that’s easiest. As a result, we can normally communicate well with one another.

Herthabsc.de: Niklas was your partner in the reverse fixture in Köln. It was a memorable game for you personally as you scored your first goal for Hertha that day.

Boyata: I’m very happy to look back on that goal! We won 4-0 quite comfortably and it was an important win against a side near us in the table. I also managed to contribute with a goal, which is a nice memory!

Herthabsc.de: Let’s talk about Saturday’s match (22/2, 15:30 CET). Köln have two Belgian players in their squad: Sebastiaan Bornauw who is banned and Birger Verstraete. Have you spoken to them ahead of the game?

Boyata: I do actually know Birger, as we’ve played for Belgium together. We haven’t spoken yet, but I’m sure we’ll catch up before the game on Saturday if we get the chance.

Herthabsc.de: The ‘Billy Goats’ have improved since Markus Gisdol took charge and are just below us in the league. What kind of game are you expecting?

Boyata: Just like before, every game will be tough for us. Our aim against a side close to us in the table is to take the three points. We know that it won’t be easy, especially considering their good run over the past few months. Nevertheless, only a win will do on Saturday!