Tella: 'I've adopted the position 100%'

In an interview with bayer04.de, the Nigerian talks about the challenge in his position, the special relationship with his fellow teammate in that position and the unusual start to his life in Germany.

Nathan, you played higher up the pitch in England. Here you also have to work back a lot. How easy or difficult was this change for you?

Tella: It was a struggle at the start. Perhaps that was also the reason why I didn't play so much. I didn't fully understand my role. But I wanted to give my all for the team from the start – in whatever position. So I spoke a lot to Jerry (Jeremie Frimpong, ed.), the coaches and our managers. They all gave me a lot of input and explained to me what's needed in that position. Then it really clicked in our home game against Molde in December (5-1 in December of last year, ed.). From then on, I’ve adopted the position 100%.

How did head coach Xabi Alonso help you in that process?

Tella: I've learned a lot from Xabi. He was very helpful and patient with me, was understanding when I made mistakes. And he believed in me, above all when it came to the change in Leipzig with Jerry's injury. That would definitely not have been possible a few weeks ago but he trusted me.

Jeremie and you: What can you learn from each other? And how do you get on, on and off the pitch?

Tella: I'd say I can still learn a lot from him. He's definitely one of the best players in the league in that position. And he's a friend. We both speak English and that makes it easy. We chat a lot off the pitch and have a lot in common. He's funny. We have lots of fun together.

Is it the first time you've been so far away from home in England. How big was the change?

Tella: I hardly spoke to anybody in my first week here. I was very shy, almost overawed. I knew it was a brilliant team with great players. And then I looked at myself and thought why am I here. (laughs) I didn't want to make any mistakes – on the pitch or say anything wrong. Then I found it increasingly easy. Also thanks to my teammates. We talked a lot and built up a great relationship. Not in German but I'm working on it. (laughs)

How have you settled in now?

Tella: It was difficult at the start. I stayed in a hotel at first. I didn't have any change of scene between the hotel and the training ground, I didn't have my own four walls. I couldn't really relax there or feel at home. It all changed when I moved in to my own flat in October. I was back to my old self and even little things like cooking, which I wasn’t able to for weeks, made me happy. I've set myself the target of really learning how to do it this year. (laughs) So, I've finally got a home. It's a quiet area but you can get everywhere really quickly I also liked it in Manchester where it was always loud. It was beautiful in Winchester but somehow too quiet. It's perfect here.

We've heard you're a hard-working student and are learning German. How's progress?

Tella: That must be a lie. (laughs)  What I can definitely can say is 'Auf geht's' (let's go) or 'Alles gut?' (Everything okay?) – those are about the first words I learned. I wanted to speak the language from the start as it makes it easier to be part of the team and the club. I want to be able to talk to the ref, the coach and my teammates and, above all, be part of the Bayer 04 family. I'd like to build up a relationship with the fans and them with me. Regardless of whether I've played for one minute or 90, they've always supported me and all of us. And loudly. My friends didn't want to believe me but when they were here for the first time for the game against Union Berlin  (4-0, ed.) and I scored my first goal in the Bundesliga, they could hardly believe their ears. They said: "It's crazy, we've never seen anything like it."