New signing Olivier Deman answered a series of questions from journalists on Tuesday afternoon after his first start in an SV Werder shirt against 1. FC Köln. “It was a great feeling and the perfect game for my first start,” shared Deman. “I was really happy with the result and I now plan to spend the next few weeks getting used to the tactics and playing style of the team.”
The 23-year-old’s childhood memories of Werder are littered with legendary footballers such as Diego, Claudio Pizarro and Kevin de Bruyne. During the recent international break, Deman spoke about his new club with fellow countryman and ex-Werder player Koen Casteels.”He told me he really enjoyed his time here,” said the defender, smiling. National team coach Domenico Tedesco also advised him that: “Without putting any pressure on me, it would be a great step in my career. Lots of people around me spoke highly of the club.”
Despite EURO 2024 being high up on the left-back’s priority list, Deman’s primary focus is currently on performing well for the Green-Whites. His biggest competitor for game time within the team is Anthony Jung, who appeared in all 34 games of last season’s Bundesliga campaign and was in the starting line-up for 32 of them. “Part of being a professional footballer is coming up against really strong players, so it’s down to me to work hard, prove myself, and earn my spot in the starting eleven,” explained Deman, who registered his first assist for the club in the defeat to Heidenheim.
The Belgium international isn’t intimidated by the fact that Werder have never won away to SV Darmstadt 98, where the Green-Whites are due to play on Sunday afternoon. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t go there and come out on top – it’s our responsibility to prepare as well as possible and put our all into the performance,” urged Deman. “There’s great quality within our team and we’re aiming to win as many games as possible. My personal goal is to get all the game time that I can and do my bit towards the team’s success.”
????️ Olivier Deman on his transfer:
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) September 26, 2023
"If a team like Werder are interested in you, it's not something you can ignore. I'm aware of the club's history and it was a really interesting opportunity for me, which is why I decided to come here."#werderpic.twitter.com/c3fZgJdoPH
