It was like a little anniversary gift to himself. Almost a year to the day that he made the move from Union Saint-Gilloise to SV Werder, a cheery Senne Lynen made his way into the Weserstadion carrying a bonsai tree. “The first two weeks were a little difficult, but now the bonsai’s doing really well,” grinned the 25-year-old.
The plant’s growth appropriately depicts that of the midfielder since he arrived in Bremen. Lynen needed time to adjust – not just to the city, but also on the pitch. “Everything was different – where I was living, day-to-day life, how I was playing. It took a good five or sixth months,” said the Belgian, who previously had only played in the Jupiler Pro League of his home country. However, Lynen got stuck in and has completed 90 minutes in almost every game since the second half of the 2023/24 season.
This game time is extremely important for the midfielder’s style of play. “I’m a bit like a diesel engine. I need time on the pitch to get going,” revealed Werder’s number 14. “I try to do a bit of everything on the pitch. Running, making tackles and communicating.” Communication is an important part of Lynen’s game. ”When you can speak and understand German, then everything becomes significantly easier,” explained the defensive midfielder, who worked hard on this skill last season together with his compatriot Olivier Deman. “When you interact with your teammates in German, all of those who know the language understand you that split second faster,” added Lynen.
The Belgian is also getting on very well with his teammates off the field. The bonsai tree, which is now an integral part of the physio room, has turned into something of a project. Together with Niklas Stark, Leonardo Bittencourt and Romano Schmid, Lynen and his teammates attentively look after the plant. “Now that we’ve cleared up who waters the plant and when, it’s growing really well and has even grown some new leaves. I think it’s cool to have something like this, something you have to look after together,” commented the Werder star.
Lynen has become an important part of head coach Ole Werner’s team. However, due to his style of play, the midfielder often goes under the radar. “You need a lot of tactical knowledge to recognise my work on and off the ball,” explained Lynen. “I have absolutely no problem with going under the radar, because there are a lot of people who see these finer details during a game, and that pleases me.” Even if Lynen doesn’t need to be in the spotlight, he’s still wishing for a very special moment. “I’d love to score a goal in the Bundesliga.”
The Belgian’s next opportunity to do so will be against 1. FSV Mainz 05, whom the Green-Whites face after the international break. After drawing the first two Bundesliga fixtures against Augsburg and Dortmund, the most important thing for Lynen is that Werder get their first league win of the season. “It was an okay start, but now we need a victory. We need to take the positives from the first two matches and concentrate on the Mainz game with a fresh energy,” explained Lynen. In the meantime, the Borsbeek-born defensive specialist is using the short break to recharge and spend time with his wife and daughter. “I’m going home to spend time with family and friends. I’m looking forward to it.”
