“Hertha BSC is my club and Berlin is my city”

The Hertha players have been enjoying a few games of table tennis after training hard in England. “Some lads are really good,” revealed Linus Gechter, who has won a few games himself. The youngster’s priority, however, is his play on the football pitch. Following a promising first campaign with the first team, in which he signed a new contract and scored his first goal, Gechter is now preparing for his second season as a professional. “Getting so much experience in the Bundesliga is certainly not a given at my age. This is my club and my city. I want to improve in all areas. I can still work on my style of play, my body and the mental side of my game,” added the 18-year-old. He spoke to herthabsc.com during our time at St. George’s Park about his targets for the new season, his connection to Hertha BSC and the academy players.

herthabsc.com: Linus, which Herthaner is the best at table tennis?
Gechter: (laughs) Ooh, that’s a tough question. Some lads are really good. I mostly play with Tjark, Eitschi, Ulle and Derry. Prince also gets involved now and again. Tjark and Prince are tough oppponents! It’s good fun to have a few games after we’ve eaten; it’s nice to mix things up. I probably won’t miss it much in Berlin, though.

herthabsc.com: Our second training camp is almost over. How do you rate the team’s progress?
Gechter: We’re at a good level right now. Not everything is perfect, which is just natural, and we have some tired legs now and again in training. Our results in the friendlies haven’t all been positive, however we’ve got a week to improve. We will use the days before the cup game at Braunschweig to work on specific tactics. Our aim is to put more of the coach’s ideas into practice during the final friendly against West Brom.

herthabsc.com: What things are going well and what isn’t working perfectly yet?
Gechter: We are looking to press the opposition high up the pitch and react quickly once we lose possession. Our aim is to attack the opponents with several players to try and get the ball back. We have to get the ball forward quicker once we’ve won the ball. We like Sandro Schwarz’s ideas and the coaching team’s communication is clear. They are always giving us feedback and it really helps.

herthabsc.com: The training camp last year was your first one. We’ve also got some academy players here again this time. To what extent can you help them?
Gechter: Being part of the group a year ago was a great honour for me. That’s the same again this year. I might have got used to things a bit more, but I’m still able to appreciate it. I wasn’t nervous before the training sessions then and I’m not now. I speak a lot with the other young players and we spend our days here together. We chat a lot, just like guys our age do. We obviously discuss football mostly and I try to help them whenever I can. We all get on well.

herthabsc.com: You’ve been able to get used to the Bundesliga a little bit; you played 13 top-flight games last season. What goals do you have for your second campaign?
Gechter: We want to do a lot better as a team than we did last season. It wasn’t the case that we weren’t a team last season, but I think we’re stronger now and we’re moving in the right direction. We have to build on that. I learnt a lot last season, even if it was a turbulent campaign. As a young player I was able to work alongside coaches like Felix Magath – I think that made me better and more prepared for the upcoming years. Personally, I want to improve in all areas and that’s my aim. I can further optimize my playing style, as well as the physical and mental sides of my game. And of course I’d like to play as many games as possible and help the team as best I can.

herthabsc.com: You extended your contract here in spring. What were the main reasons behind that?
Gechter: I have a lot to thank Hertha BSC for. It’s not a given that a young player gets the chance to experience what I have in the Bundesliga so early in their career. This is my club and my city. My family and friends live here. We see eye to eye and there is mutual trust from my side and that of the club. So why would I decide to go elsewhere? I had no reason to. I’m looking forward to the coming years here and I’m fully focused on the start of the season; we want to make it a successful one.