Julian Ryerson joined 1. FC Union Berlin in the summer from Norwegian side Viking Stavanger. Christian Arbeit spoke to the 21-year-old about settling in Germany, what drives him in the morning and the dreams of young players in Norway. The full interview can be watched in English on AFTV or read in German in our matchday magazine.

CA: Julian, we are still going do this in English as you just told me, you are going to have lessons in German. But you didn’t start yet. How do you live in Berlin without a word in German?

JR: I understand most of it, so that’s ok and then I reply in English. So far it has been no problem. Everybody here has welcomed me very well and is very understanding of the language situation.

Berlin is one of the best cities in Germany, I think, to speak English. Everyone knows that, and everyone can talk to you in English.

Yeah, it’s been no problem so far.

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When you decided to come here, you might have known: there’s the guy on your position who is Christopher Trimmel, who wasn’t the captain last season but still is a very stable player. He’s never injured and the only chance if he gets booked. Despite that, you decided to come here. Why?

First of all, I’m not afraid of a challenge. I like a challenge. I like to challenge myself. I believe in myself that after some time, I need to be patient of course. I know how the situation was when I came here. But yeah, I still have to work on and eventually hopefully it’s my time to play.

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One question, I can’t even read. Maybe you can in Norwegian.

It is: “What is your favourite team in Norway?” My former club, where I came to when I was 15. I left in the summer. So it is Viking Stavanger.

I remember that in the winter there were talks with you and with the club about a possible move. It didn’t happen in the winter, but in the summer. So no problem that you are here, in the end. Everyone laughed at a photograph with some friends or team-mates, and everyone had different football shirts on, and you already had an Union shirt.

It was a little bit fun. We were told at short-notice that there’s a national shirt day. When I was here in November the year before, I received a jersey with my name and everything already. What can I say? I don’t really have a favourite team in England, so I don’t have a few jerseys at home. So I wore the Union shirt.

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People ask about motivation. How do you do that? To go on the training pitch day by day? That you maybe won’t play on the weekend. There is no Under 23 team or something like that. Nobody wants to play there anyway, if you are a professional. How does that feel? So how do you get up in the morning? And to be the best possible challenger to Christopher Trimmel?

Motivation can come and go. It’s more of a routine, if you are dedicated and if you are taking care of your body and training hard. It’s something, which is important to me because I always have to be ready when I have to step in or play. For me, it’s not really about motivation, which come and go, from one day to another, but good routines and if you are dedicated, you get up and make the most out of practice.

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Is that a dream of Scandinavian players? If there’s a chance, I go to England or maybe Germany?

In Norway, the Premier League they rate the Premier League a lot. It’s always on the TV and the Norwegians are often supporters of English teams. It’s crazy. I think for Norwegian players, they look a lot to England. But there’s also Norwegians who come to Germany as well.