The Kosovan, known as “Rocket” amongst the Werder fans, made a strong impression during last season’s Rückrunde. Braces against Augsburg and Schalke and goals against Leverkusen, Mainz, München and Leipzig made the 22-year-old one of the most dangerous players in the Bundesliga. Dr. Hubertus Hess-Grunewald presented the award and told the crowd about a successful winter break, as well as a discussion he had with assistant coach Tim Borowski. “At the time, Rashica was on the verge of breaking through and Tim said ‘wait until he scores one or two goals, and then he’ll really take off.’ And that’s exactly what happened,” said Dr. Hess-Grunewald.

There’s a reason why Florian Kohfeldt said during pre-season that Werder’s opponents fear the Kosovan. After all, “Rocket” wants to achieve even more, which is why he worked hard in Bremen, the Zillertal and in Grassau. Rashica is looking to better his haul of 14 points from last season – a tally that made him one of Werder’s more valuable assets. The winger gave a small preview of what’s to come during a 0-0 draw against Everton on Fans’ Day. Admittedly with no goals, but with plenty of “Rocket” power on show.