Castro: ‘Learned a lot from Nowotny, Schneider and Berbatov’

Gonzo, you made your 400^th appearance in the Bundesliga on the last matchday against Mainz. Congratulations on that. 400 appearances in the Bundesliga – it’s a milestone that isn’t that easy to reach. Is it something you ever dreamed of?
Many thanks for the congratulations. Of course, as a professional footballer you dream of playing as many matches as possible but, to be honest, I never really thought it would be 400 games. That makes it even better to reach that number now – and I’ll be happy to play a few more games.

You played over half of those games for Bayer 04, for example your league debut at Hannover in January 2005. How well do you remember your first Bundesliga game?
(He laughs) It feels like it was yesterday. Back then, Klaus Augenthaler showed his confidence in me and he brought me on in the closing stages of the game. It felt really good.

You were brought through the youth teams and went on to play for Bayer 04 for 16 years. How does the club feature overall in your life?
Of course, Bayer 04 plays an incredibly important role in my life. I became a professional player there and was able to play alongside a lot of great players like Jens Nowotny, Bernd Schneider and Dimitar Berbatov and I was able to learn a lot from them. On top of that, my family lives in Leverkusen so there will always be a special connection.

Is there one moment from your time at Leverkusen that you particularly remember?
There are a lot of moments. One, for example, was my first Bundesliga goal that I scored in the home game against Alemannia Aachen. And there are the games for Bayer 04 in the Champions League.

After your move to Borussia Dortmund in 2015, you have played for VfB Stuttgart since 2018. A look at the stats shows you’ve played in a lot of different positions – from left-back to attacking midfield. Is that flexibility, coupled with a certain consistency, the biggest strength of Gonzalo Castro?
It has definitely helped me to make such a large number of appearances. On the other hand, it has perhaps become more difficult for me to claim a particular position.

You became the captain at VfB this season after getting promoted again straight away. What does that mean to you and how do you try to bring it to life?
It’s obviously an honour to be the captain at such a traditional club. We’ve got a young team that still has the potential to develop really well. I’ve been involved with football for many years and gained a lot of experience, which I’m trying to pass on. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a loud character but I do lead the way and I try to help the team every day.

What are the targets for VfB this season? And how do you think Bayer 04 will do this term?
As a newly promoted club, it’s about staying in the league and continuously developing as a team. We’re on the right track. Leverkusen have a strong team and I think it’s very probable they will be playing for a Champions League spot right to the end of the season.

Of all the games, you picked up a thigh injury in your 400th Bundesliga appearance. Get well soon. When will we see you back on the pitch and how sad are you at missing this match at your stadium, the BayArena?
I’d really liked to have played at Leverkusen but perhaps it will happen next season. I’m working on being back in full training in two to three weeks.

How do you think the game will turn out on Saturday? What’s your tip?
Hopefully, it will be as exciting a game just like the one in the first half of the season. We want to get a result and take something back to Stuttgart.