FC St. Pauli | Klein: “I had plenty of enjoyable and am trying ahead to…

Sam Klein on…

…the primary two weeks in Hamburg: “The first week was very hot, so a lot like home. It’s a beautiful city and the teammates have been very welcoming, so I’m really enjoying it. I was in a hotel at first, but I recently found an apartment and am fully moved in now, so I feel a lot more settled now.”

…the primary two warm-up matches: “The atmosphere at both the games with the fans was incredible. It’s something I haven’t experienced before at a pre-season match. It was very energetic. The matches were intense, so I had lots of fun and am looking forward to more.”

…deciding to make the transfer to FC St. Pauli regardless of not figuring out which league the membership would play in: “I spoke to the people in St. Pauli around the end of April when my season in Australia came to an end, so it was time to think about my future. At that time it was obviously not sure whether they would be in the top division or the second division but both opportunities excited me equally. The officials painted a good picture of what it could look like for me as young player. At this stage of my career all I want to do is play football and I was told that if I work and train hard, I could play minutes and play a part.”

…transferring to Europe: “I was always quite ambitious in Australia and I loved my football there, but I wanted to play in Europe and I wanted to play against the best players. That’s something I’ve always aimed to do.”

…his compatriots Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe: “I’ve never actually met them, though I’ve grown up watching Jackson playing for the national team. I’ve messaged with them a little bit since I’ve signed and I’m looking forward to meeting them when they come back. The fact that they’re here was a factor in helping me make my decision, to see that there’s been a pathway of Australian players coming here and being successful, playing a lot of matches in the team and getting experience. It’s a pathway that I can follow.”