After his debut in the professional team
©IMAGO
In the 1-2 defeat against Union Berlin last Saturday, Cole Campbell was a newcomer to the Borussia Dortmund squad. The 18-year-old striker is considered a promising talent and wants to establish himself among the professionals. “I hope to get my chance soon,” the American told “Ruhr Nachrichten”.
“It’s an important season for me. I want to make a breakthrough among professionals. “I have to work hard for this and then we will see what is possible,” stressed the youngster. Campbell left his native United States in 2020, first to Iceland and two years later to join the BVB youth team. There, the left-hander was recommended for his first professional contract via the U17s and U19s – in July he extended it until 2028.
“We see a lot of potential in him and are happy that we are taking the next steps together,” sports director Sebastian Kehl said of the talent. Campbell added: “It was a dream come true for me when I joined BVB. Now I’m living this dream and working to improve myself since day one. I am very happy and I will continue to work hard to succeed at Borussia Dortmund.
Campbell was allowed to attend the professional training camp in Marbella last winter and was there again in Bad Ragaz this summer. “Among professionals, the level and pace are of course much higher compared to the U19s. Every pass must be correct. Teammates and opponents are of course bigger and stronger. “Everything here is a notch higher,” he said. This season, Campbell has played five times in the Third Division, twice in the Youth League and once in the U19 Youth League – scoring two goals and two assists each. The debut for the BVB team followed last weekend and this Wednesday he received his first market value of 300,000 euros as part of the Bundesliga update.
Campbell has nothing but words of praise for coach Nuri Şahin: “Even though I haven’t worked with him for a long time, I can already say that Nuri Şahin is one of the best coaches I have ever had. never had. I can talk to him anytime and exchange ideas with him on a personal level. Of course, you have to respect him, but you can talk to him very openly. I like it a lot. » Şahin was a “fantastic player”: “He can give me good advice and I can learn a lot from him. I can’t wait to play under him.