Six Questions: Bradley Fink of Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund have been a hotbed for the development young talents for quite some time now…
While Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland have been the stars of the show this season, the likes of Giovanni Reyna have broken into the first team and impressed.
Meanwhile, the recent arrival of Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City indicates that Dortmund are truly building something special.
Another big talent from the Borussia Dortmund academy is striker, Bradley Fink, who has had a fantastic season with the U17 team.
He was a key figure of the Dortmund team that finished 2nd in the U17-Bundesliga West and finished the season with 12 goals and 4 assists to his name in just 18 appearances - making him the 3rd highest scorer in the league.
His impressive performances resulted in him making a debut for the U19 team in a UEFA Youth League game vs FC Barcelona.
Scoring goals for fun is nothing new for Bradley though.
He netted 40 goals in just 21 appearances at U-16 level for his previous club FC Luzern, as his team regularly lifted silverware.
Bradley will be making the step up to the U-19 Bundesliga very soon and will look to continue where he left off last season.
Very recently, Bradley scored his first hat-trick for Borussia Dortmund in a preseason game.
What’s even more impressive was that all three of his goals came within the first 20 minutes of the game as Dortmund cruised to a 5-1 victory.
Here, Bradley talks about adapting to life in Germany and his ambitions for next season, among other things.
Via Getty Images
[I can imagine that in your position as a striker, you would have come up against some really talented defenders already]
Are there any particular opponents who gave you a hard time?
I have actually scored against pretty much every defender I came up against and I hope this trend continues.
When I was still playing for Lucerne, I had to be at my very best against Christian Fernandes and Bryan Okoh who were my toughest league opponents for almost a decade but I still scored against them more often than not.
Both have moved on abroad as well and are successful, which shows their quality.
You have seamlessly made the switch from Switzerland to Germany and have adapted smoothly.
What do you think are the major differences in the style of football present in Switzerland and that in Germany?
Football is a huge part of the German way of life and it shows everywhere, be it the fan-interest or the media-coverage of the youth teams.
From a playing perspective, the intensity and speed of the game in Germany and the abundance of quality, particularly at Clubs like BVB.
Germany have 10 times more people than Switzerland which is reflected in the number of very talented players clubs can choose from.
Additionally, the top German Clubs sign top foreign talents, which makes for a large talent pool.
With that comes the pressure that you can never afford to take the foot of the gas.
You need to be on top of your game all the time.
Growing up, who have been your idols in the footballing world?
My first real idol was Fernando Torres during his Liverpool years.
He was unstoppable and I was watching him all the time to learn his trait.
After that I followed Daniel Sturridge.
But I am my own player and therefore nowadays I don’t focus on one particular player but more on the strengths of several different players.
I like Cristiano Ronaldo’s dedication, work ethic and how he improves even at his age, Zlatan for his mental strength and confidence, Firmino for his link up play and work ethic on the pitch; Harry Kane and Lewandowski for their finishing.
Dortmund Coaches liken me to Duvan Zapata from Atalanta Bergamo, a very versatile player and great forward.
I like the way he plays.
You had enquiries and approaches from many other clubs, but how did it feel when you found that Borussia Dortmund were interested in you, and what made you chose them over any other club?
Yes, it was insane, 16 Clubs - most from Europe’s 4 biggest leagues - but for us it was all about which club would provide me with the best development plan for my final years as a youth player and as a striker in particular.
Dortmund is totally dedicated to developing young talent.
Also, BVB has the best record of Europe’s big clubs in bringing young players to the 1st team. And even if they don’t make it at Dortmund, many of BVB’s former Youth Players became professionals at other clubs and live their dream.
How would you describe your time at FC Luzern?
Were there any specific things or life lessons you learnt while playing for them which helped you grow as a footballer and as an individual?
I had a fantastic time at FC Luzern.
During my 9 years at the Club, I learned so much and I owe the club a lot.
I had great teammates, learned from outstanding coaches and we were dominating our age group (2003s) in the country during the entire time.
What I learned the most was becoming a team leader, dealing with pressure and delivering on expectations and with all the wins, becoming a winner and growing self-confidence.
My time at Lucerne also taught me about life in a competitive environment, which prepared me for Dortmund.
You will be making the step up from the U-17 Bundesliga to the U-19 Bundesliga in the coming season, are there are any short-term goals that you have set for yourself?
On a team level I want to help our team win the triple (U19 Bundesliga, Uefa Youth League, U19 DFB Pokal).
Individually, I want to take the next steps in my development and become the best forward I can be which ultimately dictates how soon I will get a chance to prove myself in the 1st team.
I trust that our Head Coach Mike Tullberg - who used to be a Centre Forward himself - together with his staff and our Talent Manager Otto Addo will get me ready for the next step.
