In an interview set to be published in the Monday print edition of Kicker, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Jens Castrop has spoken on his switch to the South Korean national football team. The former Ge...
In an interview set to be published in the Monday print edition of Kicker, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Jens Castrop has spoken on his switch to the South Korean national football team. The former Germany U21 international completed his switch to the Taeguks late this summer and was capped twice by head coach Myung-bo Hong over the September international break.
“I was always proud to represent the DFB Juniors,” Castrop told Kicker’s Oliver Bitter. “My mother left the decision up to me. It was a very difficult decision, and I thought about it for a long time. But I see myself as very Asian in terms of my character traits. I used to take taekwondo and being competitive is a very Asian trait of mine.”
When it comes to learning the language and culture, the German-raised 22-year-old admitted that he had to make some big adjustments. That nevertheless didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for his assignment one bit. Castrop found it an absolute privilege to play for the South Korean team against opponents like Mexico and the USMNT in the states last month.
“We played courageous Korean football,” Castrop said of recent friendlies played in New Jersey and Tennessee. “It was a really intense experience. In New York [where the team camped ahead of the USMNT match] it was basically a home game for us because there are so many Koreans there. South Korean fans seek physical contact with you and shed tears when you pass by. It’s extreme.
“Learning Korean isn’t like learning English or French,” Castrop said of the linguistic learning curve. “The structure of the language and the characters [are different]. I can now read things online, but I can’t understand those who speak Korean. Fortunately, everyone speaks English and I have an interpreter at team meetings. My mother can also teach me a lot, so I’m making progress.
“Everyone is very polite and bows when greeting one another,” Castrop said when talking about locker room culture. “There is a very clear hierarchy in terms of age. There is generally great respect for older people. As a young player, you’re the last to get into the elevator and you bring the others fruit after meals. No one leaves the table until everyone has finished eating.
“He is Korea’s hero,” Castop added what it felt like to play alongside Son Heung-min “The great leader leads the team, gives the speeches, and holds the whole team together. He talks to everyone and has a very close and good relationship with everyone. He really is an incredible personality and is a great person.“
Category: General Sports
