Things move quickly in football. That’s something Yannick Gerhardt has experienced first-hand this season, having struggled for playing time for a lengthy period, only to be thrust into the thick of the action again. In this interview the 31-year-old tells us what helped him through the most difficult period of his career, and how the change in coach became a turning point for him.
Yannick, at the start of the season you played briefly against Heidenheim but then you didn’t feature at all in the subsequent nine games, and weren’t even in the squad on occasion. How do you cope with that as a player?
Yannick Gerhardt: “In sporting terms, it was the toughest period of my career. I’ve been injured in the past but at least then you know that you can’t play. But when you’re fit and still don’t get given a chance, it’s rough. As a footballer, you feel part of your identity is missing.”
What was the biggest challenge for you?
Gerhardt: “It was hard to find the motivation each day. But I still gave my all in training and continued to work on myself. It was a difficult spell mentally. You just have to keep telling yourself that eventually you’ll get a chance.”
Your situation changed when Daniel Bauer took over from Paul Simonis as head coach. When did you learn of his plans?
Gerhardt: “Daniel sat down with me straight away. First he asked me how I was doing and how I’d been. He didn’t promise me anything but even just hearing him say, ‘I have a plan for you’ gave me a huge amount of motivation and confidence.”
