When Lukas Ambros was brought off the bench with a quarter of an hour to go against Leipzig, he not only made his Bundesliga debut but also became the youngest Czech player ever to appear in Germany's top flight. In this interview the youngster discusses that landmark outing, how his loved ones reacted back home, and the upcoming game against Köln.
Lukas Ambros, what were your first Bundesliga minutes like?
Lukas Ambros: "It was obviously a wonderful feeling, although it would have been better if we'd won. But I'm sure we'll start winning again soon."
Were you surprised when Niko Kovac told you your time had come?
Lukas: "To be honest I couldn't believe it at first, it was like a dream. The day before I was on my way to Hamburg with the U19 team for the match against St. Pauli when I got a call saying I should stay in Wolfsburg because I was going to be in the first-team squad."
You are now the youngest ever Czech player to appear in the Bundesliga. How does that make you feel?
Lukas: "I'm very proud and happy. I'd chatted with my advisor earlier about my personal aim of breaking that record by the end of this season. But now I'm surprised that it happened so quickly."
What was the reaction like back home?
Lukas: "A lot of my family and friends phoned me right after the game. My coaches and teammates from the U19 national team also sent me messages. I'm very grateful for that."
You have played for Czech Republic at almost every youth level. How far away are you from thinking about the senior team? Has Jaroslav Silhavy already contacted you?
Lukas: "No, not yet. First and foremost we have European Championship qualifying games with the U19 national team in March. The next objective after that would be helping the U21s qualify for the Euros. If I could play there it would be amazing."
VfL's next game is in Cologne on Saturday. How important would it be to end the recent run of negative results?
Lukas: "Definitely very important – and we have the quality to do it. We need a positive result and need to get back to that winning feeling. If we can do that then I think we'll be very hard to stop."
