Andy, Bayer 04 face a 1,200-kilometre trip to the Scottish capital for the first away game in the Europa League this season. What can the Werkself expect at Celtic Park?
Thom: There will definitely be a passionate atmosphere – but I don't think I’m giving anything away there. The atmosphere is always fantastic. It will be difficult for Leverkusen to come out on top.
Celtic are the only club you played for abroad. Do you still have special memories of your time there?
Thom: Yes, definitely. I learned an awful lot and had a great time there. When I was at the club, Rangers (Celtic's biggest rivals in Scotland, ed.) were stronger than us individually. But we somehow managed to launch a new era. When you look at how many times Celtic were champions - regardless of the rivals' problems- then that's alright. (He laughs)
What was your perception of the Scottish way of life and the people when you were there?
Thom: They gave me a really warm reception. I quickly tried to learn the language – even though it was very difficult to understand the Scottish accent. That enabled me to communicate relatively quickly and I felt at home. In retrospect, I can definitely say the move was a good decision back then.
Celtic Park is famous for its unique atmosphere. Why do you have to have been there as a football fan?
Thom: I don't know if you really have to have been there. But given my experience, I can say that it is simply exceptional there. The fans are absolutely fantastic and really very loud. It's a pure football stadium where there's an absolute brilliant atmosphere. Back then, when we were playing against Barcelona, you couldn't hear yourself think. It was crazy.
Apart from the fans, what else is special about the club?
Thom: It's a working class club that has stayed loyal to its traditions over the years. The team always give 100 per cent for 90 minutes on the pitch. And even if they don’t always win the fans are grateful for what they see.
Celtic haven't won in the last three games (one draw, two defeats). What's your assessment of the team at the moment?
Thom: Looking at it from afar, Celtic haven't made a good start to the season. Regardless of that, I think the quality of football at Leverkusen is better than at Celtic. But I also believe it will be tricky for Bayer 04. The Celtic players will get stuck in, battle and give their all – that's the prevailing mentality.
Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
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The ‘year after’ the most successful year in the club's history brought many changes at Bayer 04. In an exclusive double interview with bayer04.de shortly before the Christmas break, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes spoke about building a new team capable of winning trophies, the work of coach Kasper Hjulmand, the young new signings who have quickly developed into key players, and their personal plans for the Christmas holidays. Their outlook for the coming year also shows that the potential is far from exhausted and ambitions remain high.
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Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
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