Heidenheim "assist king" Beste laughs off transfer rumors
FC Heidenheim goal-scorer Jan Schöppner reserved some special words for talismanic teammate Jan-Niklas Beste after Beste racked up a hat-trick of assists in Saturday's victory.
The player himself, addressing the fact that his scintillating recent form might lead him elsewhere in the coming January transfer window, insisted that he remained focused on his current club.
A close 3-2 home win over visiting SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday would naturally not have been possible for Heidenheim without their star player Jan-Niklas Beste. The 24-year-old recorded dead-ball assists on all three of Heidenheim's goals. Beste serviced both of captain Patrick Mainka's goals with a pair of corners in the 69th and 71st minute.
The player himself, addressing the fact that his scintillating recent form might lead him elsewhere in the coming January transfer window, insisted that he remained focused on his current club.
The credit for the comeback obviously belonged almost solely to Beste, who has now recorded eight assists on the year and scored five goals himself. Teammate Jan Schöppner, the scorer of Heidenheim's other goal on the day, noted that "Niklas left foot is worth its weight in gold" during his post-match interview with Sky Germany.
Beste himself laughed that comment and some of the transfer rumors during his own post-match interview. The Hamm-native kept it modest, insisting that he wasn't even really thinking about his latest turn on the scoresheet. Beste made it clear that he wasn't terribly interested in the transfer rumors accompanying all the recent attention he's garnered.
"Rumours are rumours," Beste said, "I was sent all the articles, but I didn't know anything about them either. I sat at home on the couch and laughed about it. I feel comfortable here and am fully focussed on Heidenheim."