Raised in the north

You played handball for a long time as a child. Now you’re a professional footballer – what went wrong?

Hauke: I’m pretty convinced I would have become a professional handball player too. (laughs) No, my whole family played handball. My cousin also played in the Bundesliga and was always a big role model for me. At some point we moved out of Hamburg to a village, and when I was eight or nine, everyone in my class played football. I went along with my friend and football has had me hooked ever since. I played both for a while, but it involved too much driving for my parents, especially my mum. So I had to choose. And because I was enjoying football more than handball at that point, I chose football. There wasn’t one particular moment; it was simply a feeling.

At 13, you then moved to a sports boarding school in Schwerin. What was that like for you?

Hauke: The first two weeks were brilliant because it felt like a holiday camp. Then I was homesick for six months and did nothing but cry. Fortunately, my parents are originally from Schwerin, so we had family there. My grandparents, both on my mum’s side and my dad’s side, gave me incredible support. They gave me a huge sense of security. Without them, it would have been really difficult to see it through. But I could always rely on my family, and after six months things got better. Looking back, though, moving away from home at 13 wasn’t always easy.

Was that your first major challenge as a footballer?

Hauke: In terms of football, yes, but above all as a person. It wasn’t an easy time because I’m a real family person and I missed not only my parents but also my brother a lot. Back then, just as now, I did almost everything with him. I really missed that when we only had one day together at the weekend. I’m absolutely convinced I would never have made it this far without my family. At the same time, I learned relatively quickly how to manage on my own. That helped me a lot later on.

Was there a point along the way when you realised that it was all starting to pay off?

Hauke: No, not really. It was a process. But I remember one day: it was a Monday during PE and I just couldn’t take it any more. I called my grandparents, and afterwards we sat down with the headteacher and discussed how we could make it work. I was then allowed to go home for two or three days. At some point in the spring, the other boys at the boarding school said to me: “Why don’t you come out with us and we’ll do something together?” We just wanted to spend some time in town. What did you even buy back then? A croissant or something. They were only little things to pass the time, but that’s when I learned that at boarding school or in football, there are people who can become like family too. That helped me enormously, and by the end of that half-year I really felt settled.

You then moved to Dresden at U17 level, leaving the north for the first time.

Hauke: It was difficult at first because I was even further away. Instead of an hour on the train, it was suddenly four and a half hours. You really notice the difference because you only see your family every month or two. But looking back, that was also one of the most valuable periods of my life. It wasn’t entirely easy for me, either in footballing or personal terms, but it shaped me enormously. After a year and a half, though, it was also very important for me to do something new and move to Kiel.

Was that the period that shaped you most?

Hauke: As a person, definitely. I’m sure others have had it much worse than I did, but it was tough for me. I was very much on my own in certain situations, and over those years I became very, very independent as a result. Of course, it also meant a lot of time I couldn’t spend with my family, which is a shame looking back. But it made me who I am. I’m very happy with the values I was taught. And that has stayed with me to this day, which is why I value the time I spend with my family so, so much.

You’ve grown into a leader. You were captain at Kiel, vice-captain at SC Paderborn and led by example as a player at St. Pauli. To what extent did your past influence that?

Hauke: That’s difficult to answer. I always want the people around me to be doing well. Maybe that’s because I went through periods when I wasn’t doing well and other people helped me through them. That’s something that matters to me. Being a leader is a character trait that you either have or you don’t. Only if you have it can you grow into that role. There are players who simply aren’t made for it. And that’s a good thing too, because if you only have leaders, it doesn’t work either. At Kiel, I was increasingly put in situations where I had to take responsibility and more and more was expected of me. I received a lot of support, which allowed me to find my own way as captain.

Regardless of whether I’m wearing the captain’s armband or not, I have my values that I stand for, that I live by every single day and that I want others to live by too. Everyone defines the role of a leader differently. Over the years, I’ve found my own way of how I want to lead.

How do you define the role of a leader?

Hauke: First and foremost, he has to perform. A leader who doesn’t perform and only talks eventually loses credibility. The second most important thing for me is that he sets the example himself when it comes to what he demands from the team. It’s important to me that the lads around me are doing well and feel they can talk to me if they have problems or see things differently. Honesty is part of that. That doesn’t mean you always have to be hard on each other, but that you’re positively honest with one another and say what you think is good or what you appreciate about the other person. On the other hand, it also makes it easier to criticise each other because you know the other person only has your best interests at heart. And of course, respect is part of it – towards everyone, whether it’s the team, the staff or the people around us. If you have that, you can always be successful as a team.

In your first competitive match as a Wolf, you led the team onto the pitch as captain straight away. What did that feel like?

Hauke: It doesn’t really matter to me whether I’m wearing the captain’s armband or not. But of course, if someone had told me five years ago that I’d lead VfL onto the pitch as captain in my very first competitive game, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s a huge privilege because, to me, this is a very big club. So I was very, very proud in that moment. Although for me it’s not about the captain’s armband, but about the appreciation I’ve received in such a short space of time. That’s something very special.

Let’s talk about Saturday. You know the opposition and you know the 2. Bundesliga: what will be key against St. Pauli?

Hauke: It’s like every game in this league: everyone wants to beat us because everyone knows the quality we have in our team. We’re considered the clear favourites, so everyone wants to give that extra few per cent against us compared with other games. We’re going into a really intense stadium. From my years at St. Pauli, I know that games under the floodlights at the Millerntor are always special. We’ll have to be ready for a tough one. But I’m completely convinced that we’ll put in a good performance. It’ll be a loud atmosphere, a real test of character – and we have to be hungrier than the opposition. I thought something Vincent Kompany said last week was very apt: “The opposition can’t be hungrier than us.” And if we’re hungrier, there’s a very good chance we can make the game go our way.