Ramaj aims to become Dortmund's No. 1 and break into Germany squad

Speaking to Kicker, Diant Ramaj has expressed his ambition to become Borussia Dortmund’s No. 1 goalkeeper and fight his way into the German national team.

After spending the second half of last season on loan at FC Copenhagen, the 23-year-old is back in Germany and has joined Heidenheim on loan.

Ramaj sees this loan spell as the next step towards his goal of becoming Dortmund’s first-choice keeper - a spot currently held by Gregor Kobel.

“I want to establish myself as Dortmund’s number one. That’s what I’m working on every day,” Ramaj said, adding:

“I know what I’m capable of, and I believe I can follow this path.”

Following his transfer from Ajax last winter, Ramaj made headlines with his bold claim that he would never accept a bench role at Dortmund. Justifying his stance, he said:

“Only dead fish swim with the stream. I have a mouth to say what I think,” he stressed.

“I have proven that I have a certain level which I don’t have to hide.”

If he eventually secures Dortmund’s No. 1 spot, Ramaj would naturally become a strong candidate for the German national team.

The 23-year-old is fully aware of this and revealed that one of the main reasons for his loan move to Heidenheim is to increase his visibility in Germany.

“I wanted to become more visible again in German football,” Ramaj said, adding that the fact that he won the Double with FC Copenhagen was “hardly recognized” in Germany.