Kristian Pedersen’s first interview after being officially unveiled as a Blues player was surprisingly insightful. There was a lot that came out of the chat that shed some light on the type of player he will be and why he decided to join us.
Having played in the second tier in Germany, I doubt many fans know what to expect from the 23-year-old so it was good to find out what motivates him, and what drives him forward. Here are three things we learned:
1) The left-back enjoys the physical of the game
Pedersen says he is relishing the increased physicality of the Championship which is a reassuring thing to hear. Although he feels Bundesliga-2 isn’t for the faint-hearted either, he understands that English football will be a step up.
He loves to tackle, enjoys one-one-one battles, and his height means he will have the ability to deal with aerial threats into the box. I like the word he used for how he’ll shut down opposition wingers as well:
“It is very physical and I think that suits me very well. I’m a tall guy and I like to ‘kill’ my opponents.”
The Dane knows he’s in for a battle next season, and he’s expecting to be challenged.
2) Garry Monk was highly influential in persuading him to move to England
Union Berlin sent a classy tweet after he signed for us, stating we have snapped up a “diamond.” Fiorentina were reportedly interested in the full-back last summer, and he could have gone to a number of different clubs. Instead, he chose the Blues.
Pedersen describes how he sat down with the manager before finalising his move to St Andrew’s. The pair talked honestly about the good and bad things that he needs to improve in his game. The Dane appreciated the honesty, and it seems he is trusting Monk to help develop his game.
3) He’s ambitious and wants to get this team to the Premier League
The defender has always harboured ambitions of playing in England, and now he is here, he wants to make his mark. He says he is player who will run into the ground for his team-mates, and he’s going to do all he can to help this team back to the top flight.
He was inspired by clips showing the home crowd during the run-in last season, and he will no doubt be hoping to inspire a challenge at the top end of the table next campaign.
Pedersen is certainly saying all the right things. Hopefully, he can walk the walk after doing the talking.