Khedira on maximium minutes and miles: "No one needs to roll out the red carpet for me."
The "midfield metronome" of surprise Bundesliga table-toppers 1. FC Union Berlin had a chance to reflect on his role within the team at a Monday media round.
The 28-year-old hasn't missed a single minute of action this season and leads the rest of the squad in distance covered.
The 28-year-old hasn't missed a single minute of action this season and leads the rest of the squad in distance covered.
| Rani Khedira | Steffen Prößdorf CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
The success of Fischer's reliable "3-5-2 double stack" constellation owes much to just about all the actors involved. Much of the talk surrounding the team nevertheless tends to revolve around attackers Sheraldo Becker and Jordan Siebatcheu. The rotating cast that operates behind the two strikers and the multiple players that fill in at wingback also obtain significant attention.
Some may tend to forget that, working on a solo axis with a lot of ground to cover between the two wingbacks, Rani Khedira keeps the squad's offensive engine purring. The 28-year-old has started all seven league fixtures, as well as the Pokal match and both Europa League games. He's gone the full distance on all nine occasions, never having been subbed off.
The younger brother of 2014 German World Cup winner Sami Khedira wished to make clear that he had no problems being out of the limelight whilst speaking during a Monday press round. When it was brought to his attention that he lead the team in distance covered (11.09 kms per match), the former Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Augsburg man emphasized that the team came first.
"I'm responsible for helping the team with its balance," Khedira stressed, " I try just to be there for the team. [Urs Fischer] keeps us permanently critical and humble. A cohesive team is the secret to our success. No one needs to roll out the red carpet for me."
Union's league campaign resumes on Saturday with a trip to Hessen to face Eintracht Frankfurt.
