“Only Werder really wanted me”

Werder Bremen’s Mitchell Weiser discussed his time at Leverkusen in an interview with Kicker, as he returns to face his former club on Matchday 7.

Bundesliga journeyman Mitchell Weiser came to Leverkusen for €12 million in 2018 to become their new right-back. After making 30 appearances in his first season at the BayArena club, Weiser’s playing time slowly dwindled in the subsequent years. The former German youth international is now thriving in an entertaining Werder Bremen squad, as he travels to Leverkusen on Matchday 7.
Speaking with Kicker, Weiser said he struggled to find a new team after feeling like an outcast at the company club: “It was actually the case that only Werder really wanted me – I also have to remember that most (clubs) no longer believed in me.”

The right-back joined Werder on loan in the second division last season and was a major piece in their resurgence back into the Bundesliga. Weiser’s move was made official this summer and he’s started every game in the top flight thus far.

Weiser discussed that it still wasn’t an easy transition, as he explained, “And when I came to Bremen it did not go well at first. I was already thinking, did you forget everything? – I somehow no longer felt completely respected.”

But, the 28-year-old has found his footing and feels like a renewed man in his new home: “The fact that there is still a certain euphoria with us can also be seen in how we play. And it is precisely this passion in football that nothing else can give me.”

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