By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Expectations couldn't be higher when it comes to new Schalke 04 head coach David Wagner as the 47-year-old signed a three-year contract until 2022.
The former Huddersfield Town manager knows quite well as he was part of the Royal Blues most significant success over 20 years ago.
Working for Borussia Dortmund's second team for four years and several youth teams of TSG Hoffenheim, the German-American was influenced by the football philosophy of his closest buddy Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick.
He follows a similar football-patterns as he cherishes a high-intensity game carried by passion and desire next to a well-structured team organization. "Congratulations to the club signing him," Klopp stated.
Back in Huddersfield, club owner Dean Hoyle praised Wagner's achievements as they surpassed his wildest expectations after the underdog promoted to the Premier League in 2017 and survived its first year. "I cried like a baby when I saw them proceed to the Premier League," Klopp remembers.
Wagner's career as a winger was far from brilliant as he admits "most of my time as a football professional I was well placed in the second division." He was a substitute (36 games/2 goals) when Schalke won the UEFA-Cup in 1997.
Nevertheless, Wagner turned into one of the promising German coaches although he retired from professional football in 2002. He studied a degree in Biology and Sports Science intending to take up a job as a teacher. "Football was far away, it had disappeared, I didn't even watch football on TV," Wagner said.
He then in 2007 received a call from his old friend Klopp offering him a job at Borussia Dortmund. "It was a risk to employ me, but it paid off, and after all, I was happy too," Wagner commented.
It can be entertaining to listen to the close friends Klopp and Wagner talking about each other. "A great talent, but not every day," Klopp commented on Wagner after "someone put us together in one room when we were playing for Mainz 05. That's where it all started." Wagner scored 18 goals in 94 games for the second division outfits of Mainz.
Since then "we are like family members, he is my best buddy," Wagner said adding Klopp was average when it comes to technical and physical abilities in football, "but he always was a true leader." Wagner claims to know Klopp "longer than my wife."
Now it is the son of an American father and a German mother having to count on leader qualities after he is expected to revitalize a club that narrowly escaped relegation in a rough 2018/19 season after finishing second the year before.
The eight-time capped US international can form a new team with his personality and improve players individually, Schalke board member Jochen Schneider is convinced. Wagner said he is aware of the strength of a unique club like Schalke can develop when all stick together.
When it comes to Schalke, unity seems the most prominent problem as no other German side stands for a similar amount of overdriven emotions. The latest attempt to lead the team away from turmoil failed after coach Domenico Tedesco and sports director Christian Heidel left only a few weeks ago.
Wagner called it the biggest motivation to change the current difficult situation and to return to the Bundesliga. "I am a child of the league," he said. Now fans hope he has a royal blue heart too.
