Tella on home debut: 'Best atmosphere I've ever experienced'

Nathan Tella on…

…his reasons for joining Bayer 04: The daily routine in Germany was and is obviously a change for me as I'd lived in England for the whole of my life up to the summer. And I was always very happy there. Whether that was in London, Southampton or Burnley. But I just had to take up the option of signing for Bayer 04. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me. This club has a great history and is almost always in Europe. I wanted to come here from the moment I first heard Leverkusen were interested in me.

…the days in and around his move at the end of August: I started watching the team play from the first point of contact – Marseille, West Ham, Ottensen. I closely analysed my possible positions and the style of play. After my medical I went back to the hotel and watched the game against Mönchengladbach – (3-0, ed.). It felt great to know that I would soon be part of this team.

…the atmosphere at German grounds: The atmosphere for my debut against Darmstadt (5-1 home win, ed.) was the loudest and best I'd ever experienced as a player. I asked my teammates after the game if it was always like that. They just said to me it can be even louder and more crazy at our stadium. (He laughs) It was incredible how many fans supported us in the last game away at Mainz. They sang from the first to the last minute, jumped up and down and spurred us on – it was like having an extra player and they gave us a crucial boost.

…Bayer 04 head coach Xabi Alonso: Of course, Xabi played an important role in my decision to move to Leverkusen. He is the coach at the end of the day. Xabi loves details and always prepares us as best as possible. That helps a lot. So we all know what we have to do if you are in the starting line-up or on the bench. For me it's important that every coach remembers working with me and can say something positive about me and my development.

…the longstanding Arsenal captain and now Leverkusen teammate Granit Xhaka: When he left Arsenal in the summer it really upset me as a fan of the club. He was incredibly important to the team. Then suddenly playing alongside him four weeks later – crazy! That was a fast emotional change for me. (He laughs) He really helped me a lot from my first day and told me all about the team and the players. His approach and that of the other lads made it easy for me to quickly feel at home in this new environment and I haven't regretted taking this big step.